Good Morning, My Groom!
by milkteaboulevard
Summary: CHAPTER 5 UP! Cagalli Yula Attha, one of the more popular students in Orb International High, has a deadly secret, she is a vampire. On one school night, she accidentally made Athrun Zala her vampire groom! What would happen after the troublesome mistake?
1. The Bloody Accident

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Gundam SEED/Destiny and any of its characters.

**Warning:** A bit of swearing here and there and some slightly mature themes, that is why it is Rated T.  


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**Good Morning, My Groom!**

**Chapter One: The Bloody Accident**

_"Cagalli, you know very well that today is at its peak, I do expect you to behave." A tanned hand reached for a blonde headed girl and patted her soft locks gently, "Please go home early. I don't want you to get in trouble."_

It was more of a command interlaced with enormous hints of concern coming from the tanned, chocolate haired twin of hers. Cagalli fumed as she replayed her brother — her twin's instructions while she walked on her way to school. She was donning the school's intended uniform for girls minus the black coat—white buttoned up blouse, a black tie and a pleated black skirt that is, quote unquote, "ridiculously short for a schoolgirl's own good." The wind was blowing heftily that she had to tug her skirt often to keep it from uncovering her underwear, much to some pervert's dismay. Her short blonde hair was also dancing in the wind. She scowled; her efforts to keep her hair tidy today are futile, much to her dismay.

The blonde haired girl sighed as she entered the school's threshold thinking that she's already safe from the winds raging outside. She rounded to the corner and went to the locker rooms. She was rather early today seeing that not much people are flocking on the said room so she went straight to her locker. A deeper scowl adorned her face; the usual sight greeted her, an overflowing box full of letters of admiration, some chocolates and flowers, all in front of her locker.

"I already cleaned this up yesterday, damn it." She picked up the box and went to the nearest trash bin and started throwing out the letters and the flowers, "What's wrong with those bloody people, anyways?" She muttered a string of curses while doing her task at hand. When she finished, only a few boxes of chocolates remained, she smiled to herself and silently thanked her admirers for giving her everyday supply of chocolates, one of the things she really loved the most.

Cagalli Yula Attha, simply Cagalli, is one of the more famous students in one of ORB's prestigious high schools, ORB International High School – Girls' Division. She is famous for her athleticism and intellect, as well as her exceptional looks and spunky attitude, heck, even girls drool when she passes her school's hallways!

Actually, Cagalli never wanted to be famous, she really didn't know how it happened, it was just suddenly one day she found some letters and flowers in front of her locker all coming from the Boys' Division on the other side of the school compound. She read some few letters, blushing a bit here and there when her eyes scanned on the clumsy scrawls on papers confessing their admiration to her. After that, it got worse and better at the same time. It was worse because the letters and flowers gradually piled up, not only from the students from the Boys' Division, but also girls here in her division, she was thankful that the students from the Boys' Division were not allowed in their school premises during class hours, of course unless there is a co-educational gathering going on, because if they were, it would be a tougher battle going to school everyday, until now, she still can't stand girls blushing and staring at her whenever she passes by. It was better because some of her admirers started giving chocolates as a complement for their letters or flowers or both. She chuckled quietly at the thought.

After getting things from her locker, she went out of the locker room and decided to go to the courtyard first since it was still less than an hour before the bell rings. While walking on the hallway, she returned with a smile, a nod and or a simple wave all of the greetings that were thrown to her by some of her schoolmates, all girls of course. Reaching the courtyard, she sat down on one of the almost hidden, unoccupied benches and closed her eyes. Her heart hammered in her chest even though her outside appearance made her look really relaxed, she was really not. The slightly tanned hands resting on her sides were shaking uncontrollably if one is to pay closer attention. She tried to breathe to calm her raging situation. She was not mad, she was not nervous; it was just that she is different. And today is one of those many days that emphasize her difference. Today is one of those days where her pheromones, as well as the others' of her own kind, go uncontrollable unless they already have attained such satisfaction. Today is one of those days where people, no, creatures like her hunted for their mate, a human being or their creature alike, a bride for the male kind and a groom for the female kind. She was trying to close her lips to a tight line, she needed to. Her fangs are slowly lengthening making her susceptible to much trouble her twin was talking about earlier. Her twin's words echoed in her head while also trying to tell herself to block the effect of the pheromones that is fast controlling her body. _"Come on, Cagalli, you can do this. You have been suppressing this thing for two years already, this is nothing."_ She repeated this on her head like a mantra, again and again and again.

Actually, she didn't know how she managed for two years fighting the said urges to find herself a mate. It was probably because she still hasn't met the right vampire for her, her vampire groom. She didn't want to have a human groom because it causes too much trouble, too much inside and outside the vampire circle. Human beings didn't know that vampires exist; they thought it was just a figment of their imagination, a faux notion to creep themselves out during Halloween or at horror movies. Vampires exist, in this world, in this time, and the blonde haired girl with closed eyes and clenched hands is a proof. Yes, Cagalli Yula Attha, one of the most admired high school students in Orb International High School is a vampire, and actually, her whole family is.

After a few minutes of almost being lost in the brink of self-control, Cagalli, still with eyes closed, unclenched her hands and breathed more evenly, more peacefully. A small smile adorned her face; she had won over the urges once again. She opened her eyes and was surprised to concerned emerald eyes looking down at her.

"Are you okay?" A questioning, masculine voice accompanied the concerned emerald eyes.

"Yes. Yes, I am." Cagalli's smile got wider. She wasn't fond of smiling to stangers, let alone talking to one, but she was just so happy that the fight with the hormonal urges was over with.

"Good. I thought you were constipated or something." The owner of the voice sighed. He seemed relieved. "You've been unmoving and breathing heavily for a few minutes now, I was kind of…"

Cagalli looked at the stranger in front of her who was currently babbling at the moment. He is wearing the uniform from the other division, the Boys' Division from the other side of the school compound, white long sleeved shirt rolled up to his elbows, black pants, and a black tie. ORB International High School was designed in such a way that the boys and girls buildings were separated but is still in the same compound. They share the courtyards, gymnasium, track oval, and other facilities except lecture rooms on the separate buildings. It was an all girls' school and an all boys' school but not really, since interaction between the male and the female population of the school isn't significant unless there is a school-wide activity or they know each other personally, however, most of the time, the female students barely know anything about the male half of the school and vice versa.

The boy in front of her has a well-kept midnight blue hair framing his face generously, with those emerald eyes and somewhat pale skin. He suddenly stopped from his babbling when he noticed Cagalli looking at him. "I'm sorry, I was talking too much. I was just worried." He smiled a bit.

Cagalli blushed, and she tried suppressing it by clearing her throat, "Well, I'm okay. Thank you for your concern."

The first bell rang and then Cagalli took her stuff sitting beside her and stood up from her seat. "So, uh, see you later." She smiled a bit and started walking balk to the Girls' Division building.

"Hey!" Cagalli spun around, the midnight haired boy called her attention, "My name's Athrun. Athrun Zala!"

"Cagalli. Cagalli Yula Attha!" Cagalli shouted back to his unasked question and continued her walk back to the building.

***

The classes were over and Cagalli is already on her way to one of her clubs' meeting when she felt the urges coming back. Stupid hormonal urges, Cagalli's lips formed a tight line. She took her mobile phone from one of her bag's pockets and dialed someone's number. She was calling Shiho Hahnenfuss, one of the Karate Club's members, a close friend of hers, and also, secretly, a vampire. The series of rings stopped as someone from the other line answered.

"Hello, Shiho?" Cagalli asked, controlling her labored breathing at the same time; she was inside one of the girl's restroom cubicles.

A low snarl greeted her, "Cagalli, what the hell do you want?" It was Yzak, breathing heavily also controlling the rage in his voice. Cagalli blushed, Shiho and Yzak are together, and were probably doing things, things that vampires will do right now with the urges high in the air, and she probably disturbed them making Yzak angrier.

Yzak Joule and Shiho Hahnenfuss, though quite an odd pair, is a couple, a vampire couple, a bride and a groom to each other. They are two of Cagalli's closer friends since they are of the same kind and they go to the same school. Though Yzak has this angry demeanor most of the time making him and Cagalli argue over silly things, Shiho surprisingly can calm him down, and then the conversation will continue in a breeze.

"I… uh… Yzak, I need Shiho, please." She heard another snarl from Yzak followed by a faint shuffle, Yzak's probably handing Shiho the phone. She heard Shiho's faint chuckle.

"Hey, Cagalli." Shiho was suppressing her heavy breathing.

"Shiho. Err… I can't attend the Karate Club's meeting today because I'm not really feeling well, as you may know." Cagalli explained nervously, fisting her free hand tightly.

"Oh, yes, don't worry. Yzak and I are on our way to the meeting, I'll just explain your absence when we arrive." Shiho heard Cagalli's brief thanks from the other line. "Yzak's mad at you right now, obviously."

Cagalli gulped, "Yes, I know. I'm sorry for disturbing you two."

Shiho chuckled, "Hey, it's okay, Cagalli, we're done anyways. Joule just wanted to cuddle a bit." Cagalli laughed as well whilst trying to manage her raging heartbeat. "By the way, Cagalli, go home. I don't want you to get into trouble here in school, okay? It's a good thing I have Yzak here right now." Shiho groaned the last part.

"I'll just deal with this for a while and I'll go home. I'm in the girl's restroom so I'm safe, somehow." Shiho heard Cagalli's heavy sigh from the other line, and she sighed knowingly. Vampiric urges are troublesome things, and a young vampire like Cagalli needed to learn how to control those impulses, as she and Yzak had years ago. The best way to elude those urges is to get a mate, a groom or a bride, and Shiho has thankful that she has Yzak.

"Go home, Cagalli. I don't want you to make any mistakes or cause unnecessary accidents." Shiho said, concern evident in her voice.

"Yes, yes. Later, I will, after I have enough control to go. Well, thank you Shiho, please say sorry to Yzak for me. Thank you. Bye." Cagalli cut off the line and stuffed her mobile phone back inside her bag. It was way past dismissal time and here she was, locking herself inside a cubicle, sitting in the ceramic toilet bowl, and once again, calming herself down.

She closed her eyes once more, her hands white from gripping the hem of her skirt tightly, her breathing was heavy, her heart was thumping fast, and her lips were closed forcibly. She repeated her self-introduced mantra in her head, again and again and again, _"You can do this, Cagalli."_

Maybe her surrogate mother was right, she should already find herself a mate, a groom, so her life will be easier. She is eighteen anyways, somewhat legal to be committed to her another half, a man. Yzak and Shiho have been together since they were young, her twin, Kira has found his bride a few years ago, and they couldn't be happier, and their lives ever so much easier.

Her heartbeat gradually slowed and her fangs reverted back to being common canines, the urges have subsided, and then she opened her eyes. She looked at her wristwatch; it was already past six in the evening. She sighed, has it been that long? Almost two hours of being cooped up inside the restroom just to regain her sanity? She stood up and grabbed her belongings lying on the tiled floors and let herself out. She looked really disheveled, the mirror never lied. She went to the sink and opened the faucet. She rinsed her face and dried herself using the sleeves of the black coat she had on right now. She scowled at her useless attempt to arrange her blonde locks. She went out of the restroom and was greeted by the dimming hallways due to the setting sun. There were no more students in the building, she thought since it was already way past dismissal time. She went down the staircases, went out of the Girls' Division building and proceeded to the parking lot at the back of the Boys' Division building where she decided to park her car today.

Her mind was flying when the wind blew. She caught a whiff of a man's perfume which shook her out of her stupor, and then it happened again, for the third time this day; her heart rumbled like thunder underneath her ribcage, her hands started to shake, her canines slowly lengthening, her breathing labored.

She focused her senses and tried walking again, with the mantra rolling in her head whilst the urges slowly taking over her body and her mind. Just a few meters to go and she will be in the parking lot, inside her car, probably safe from lashing out like a mad vampire. Her steps became urgent as if she was already half running, and then the manly scent registered once again, nearer this time, her heart thumped faster if it was possible. _"Concentrate, Cagalli, you can do this, just a bit more"._ The mantra again, playing in her mind repeatedly like a broken recording. She walked faster.

"Hey, Miss Cagalli!"

_Shit._ She didn't need to be noticed in the current state she is in. She looked up and saw the guy from earlier this morning, waving at her, a small smile adorned his face, and his midnight blue hair looked inky black, darkened because of the setting sun. He was infront of the Boys' Division, wearing the black coat and his black body bag hung on his right shoulder. He was probably on his way home from some club meeting of sorts. Athrun Zala, was it? She muttered some curses in her mind as she waved back, stiffly, and produced a forced smile. The hormones were threateningly taking a toll and she needed to go, now.

Damn her car, damn Athrun Zala. She turned and ran to the courtyard in the middle of the school, there was a small forest of sorts there, and maybe she could find a bird or a squirrel, or any animal, which can satisfy her thirst of blood right now. She ran fast as her life, as well as Athrun Zala's life, depended on it. She didn't want to make a dim-witted accident herself.

She arrived in the threshold of the said forest and she tried steadying herself on one of the trees there. She was breathing heavily, both from running and the hormonal urges. She dropped her bag on the dry soil beneath her and then her knees gave in, she was now slumped in the forest floor, her skirt dirtied. Her heartbeat was still raging furiously, she was now perspiring. She scanned the small forest with her eyes, left to right, up and down. She sensed that there were a couple of birds' nests on some of the treetops; she had to leap high to get there and right now, her energy is already mostly spent from running. She closed her eyes and tried, tried hard, to breathe more evenly as she can manage. Her mouth was ajar so she can breathe in more air. As she inhaled, she noticed the manly scent once again, Athrun Zala's scent.

She closed her slightly parted mouth and looked up. She saw him leaning against the tree using one of his hands for support, he was panting, and there was a layer of sweat forming on his forehead. He had run after her, Cagalli scowled.

"Hey, why'd you run? I wanted to ask something." His breathing became erratic as he spoke, "And you run so fast too, I can't keep up much." He slumped on the dry forest soil beside Cagalli and used the tree's trunk as a sufficient backrest; his mouth was ajar to take in more air and then he raised his head showing the strong cords of muscles of his neck, also bathed in sweat. Cagalli's heart rate soared violently. Her golden eyes were now transfixed on Athrun's damp neck. "Is there something wrong?"

Athrun's question distracted her from examining the said tempting body part. Cagalli grimaced; she clenched her fists tighter as to fight the urge on making an impending mistake. "Go away." Her voice was a bit shaky, raspy even. She was a bit surprised that she can still produce a coherent statement even in the situation she's in.

"Did I do something wrong?" His voice carried the same anxiousness as earlier that morning when he asked if she was okay. She avoided Athrun's stare and said in the gravest of tones, "Just leave me alone." Athrun didn't even fidget a bit on her command, her scowl deepened. If he's not leaving then she is. She stood up hastily using the tree as a support, she was thankful to regain some energy from her brief rest. She started walking away when a hand landed on her right shoulder, Athrun's hand. She stiffened at the sudden contact; he was in the middle of saying an apology when she felt something snap inside of her, all of her wits vanished, the urges unleashed, the hormones taking control. She turned around rapidly and then tackled Athrun to the forest ground.

***

Athrun was at loss for words when Cagalli suddenly threw herself on him. He was now on his back, on the forest soil, Cagalli's legs were pinned on his sides and she is somewhat sitting on his abdomen, making it harder for him to breathe. She was also pinning his hands over his head, her upper body was bent, her face a few inches away from his shocked face, her short blonde hair falling freely on the sides of her face like a curtain. Athrun then noticed Cagalli's eyes, her pupils were constricted making her golden irises stand out more, but right now, they were cloudy. He then noticed that her face was flushed and she was breathing heavily. The hands pinning his own hands down tightened their grasp. She was looking straight down at him and then suddenly, the gap between them disappeared.

Cagalli crushed her lips against his, and Athrun whimpered. He didn't expect that that would happen; he was expecting more like a punch on his face for invading her personal bubble, but right now, she was kissing him, quite roughly in fact, and to think that he was fantasizing that his first kiss would be sweeter than this. He tried to wiggle his hands from her tight grasp to stop the growing fervor that is happening, only to know that all energy left him and to somewhat think that he might as well kiss her back.

When he responded, for some unknown drive making him do so, Cagalli's grasp loosened, and the said hands found their way to his hair and his black tie. Cagalli's hand expertly loosened the knot of his black tie and hastily started to unfasten the first three to four buttons of his white shirt, her sweaty hands now roaming on the exposed skin of his neck and chest.

He heard himself produce a guttural moan when Cagalli's lips left his, her lips now leaving a searing trail of kisses on his jaw going down on his neck. His own hands found their way to Cagalli's blonde hair, clutching a handful of locks with each fist. Cagalli was now kissing the flesh of his neck, he can feel the heat emanating from her lips somewhat focused on a certain part of his neck, above his carotids.

And then, he moaned. He moaned when he felt a piercing pain on his carotids, two pin pricks of some sort, and he then felt Cagalli's tongue, swirling about the said spot. He felt a sucking sensation made by Cagalli's soft lips, and he then opened his eyes only to be greeted by the night sky slightly hidden by the treetops. He blinked twice to allow his eyes to adapt on the dark surroundings. He then felt something warm wetting his shirt collar, the source coming from the pin pricks on his neck.

He didn't know how but his energy suddenly left him, he felt a bit colder than usual, his grip on Cagalli's locks loosened. He then tried to push Cagalli off of him with the energy he had left; he pushed Cagalli's shoulders upwards using his nearly limp hands, and was quite stunned on what he saw. Cagalli, who was sitting on top of him looking much disheveled, quite dazed, a dark liquid staining her white shirt and her flushed face. She blinked slowly as if waking up from a trance. She then focused her golden eyes once more on Athrun's emerald ones. She frowned, her eyes seemed to water. Her right hand went to his wet neck and then looked at the spot dejectedly. Athrun's hand instinctively went to the spot which Cagalli's shaking hand rest. It was wet and then he rubbed his hand a bit on the said spot and felt two small punctures on the flesh in which the liquid slightly leaks. His heart beat faster; he was beginning to be nervous. He raised his hand slowly in front of his face to inspect the liquid currently staining his pale hand. He already knew what it is but still wished otherwise. All his senses crashed down on him when he saw blood, his blood, that dark red liquid on his hands. And then suddenly, he didn't know what to do anymore, all the questions that were raised earlier on his mind was now abruptly flushed out. He looked at Cagalli, more shocked than ever, he felt that she was suppressing tears from erupting out of her eyes. She looked at him sadly and said with a very low voice, raspy too, "I'm sorry."

And then darkness as his eyes drooped and closed, probably forever.

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End of Chapter One


	2. Mister Bloodbank

**Good Morning, My Groom!**

**Chapter Two: Mister Bloodbank**

Cagalli felt a nervous breakdown coming when she tried to think of possible ways of saying the happenings to her twin, Kira. She shuddered involuntarily. She didn't want to face her twin's rage. Kira can be quite overprotective and irrational when it comes to her, more specifically, her welfare. He would formulate safety measures for her, bordering ridiculous sometimes, just to make sure that she is well-protected. It is a good thing that he and his bride, the ever beautiful Lacus Clyne, went to a trip on the other side of the world, so she is somewhat safe from Kira's wrath for the time being. She was thankful for she really needed the time to think; she had never felt more reckless in her life. She sighed.

Cagalli never felt this more stupid in her eighteen years of living. She had been advised, almost warned, by Kira, as well as Shiho, to go home as soon as possible to avoid unnecessary mistakes to happen. She was half-blaming the urges for keeping her from going early, for she needed to control herself first otherwise she might lash out in public. And, she was also half-blaming Athrun Zala for being there on that tragic night, making her pounce on him unconsciously. She looked at the sleeping man occupying her huge bed—his midnight blue hair fanning out graciously on her plump white pillows where his head is currently resting, his body half-covered with Cagalli's thick blanket, his face relaxed and peaceful like a baby's. Cagalli's golden eyes wandered on his neck; there was a patch of gauze covering the flesh where his carotids lie underneath. She blushed, and then scowled, remembering the happenings that had transpired the night before. She now has a groom, a human groom. She didn't know whether she should be happy or not. Her scowl deepened and then decided to leave the room.

***

Athrun Zala is one of those well-rounded guys that exist; he's got the looks as well as the brains and the gentle demeanor that can make girls swoon. Almost everyday, a student from the Girls' Division would come over to their building, the Boys' Division building, after class hours to confess their undying admiration towards him. He never took interest in them, his admirers. Even though he is every bit the gentleman, he is also responsible the broken hearts of a fair part of his school's female population. He thought that a man should be the one who runs after the girl and not vice versa, that is why he turns down every confession, every proposal, he had received. There was still no one from the opposite sex who have captured his attention, even a bit—that is until that morning.

He was walking to his favorite bench in the school's courtyard. It was somewhat hidden by some small trees and bushes making it a decent study area for him for he cannot be disturbed since the students barely knew that part of the courtyard. Approaching the said spot, his eyes narrowed when he saw a patch of blonde hair, the owner of which is probably sitting on his beloved bench. He frowned and walked faster.

He was quite surprised to see a blonde-haired girl with eyes closed and clenched fist sitting on his bench. He was actually planning to bully the person stealing his beloved bench from him, and eventually seeing a girl, a schoolmate, sitting on the said bench made all his hostile thoughts go down the drain. The blonde girl seemed to be meditating, or probably not, her flawless face looked strained, her golden eyebrows furrowed. Is she sick? Athrun blinked, her face was still unchanging. Is she somewhat constipated? Athrun closed his eyes.

It only lasted for a millisecond but when he opened his eyes he was greeted by darkness. He can feel his back pressing on the hard ground beneath him, a hand was holding his hair and another was roaming on the exposed skin of his chest, he could feel someone kissing jaw, then went lower to his neck and then he felt the pricking sensation, and then the wet spot on his neck, and then Cagalli, the blonde-haired girl, sitting on top of him, her face stained by a dark liquid. It all happened so very fast, he felt that his head was already spinning.

And then a sudden flash of his own blood-stained hands made him bolt out, gasping, eyes wide, from the soft bed.

Athrun's hands automatically flew to his neck and felt a patch of gauze covering a spot on his flesh. So, his dream was true then? That Cagalli, that blonde girl he barely knew but her name, somewhat managed to wound him while they were making out in the forest floor then? He blushed like a lovesick schoolgirl when he relieved the thought of receiving his first kiss, a rough one at that, on that night. That night—wait, what time is it anyways?

Athrun looked around the room, it was not his, he was sure, for the soft bed was a dead giveaway, his bed at home is firm. The room is huge, much like the size of his, but it felt cozier, more inviting, because of the furnishings scattered inside. He looked at his left and found open double doors leading to the balcony, the lightweight curtain helplessly being carried by the wind. He shivered involuntarily when he felt the cold wind prickling his exposed skin, with this he looked down under the thick blankets and flushed like a ripe tomato; he is naked.

Did anything happen last night, something much, much more? He didn't even know how he got here in the first place. And then realization dawned on the inquiring mind of his—Cagalli. That blonde girl, Cagalli, tackled him last night on the forest floor and then she started kissing him, he kissed back and then right now, he woke up in an unfamiliar room, naked as the day he was born. Putting two and two together, he couldn't help but blush more than ever. "Oh my God."

He tried clearing the perverted thoughts currently processing in his mind and decided to find Cagalli. He assumed that he's in her house, in her room. He stood up, the cold wind tickling his whole exposed body, and then he tried to find his clothes probably scattered around the room, much to his dismay, there was none, the floor is spick and span. He was about to open one of the dressers inside the room, to find something that he can probably wear, when he heard someone cough, he froze on his spot, his hands suspended in the steel handles of the said dresser. "I know it's much more comfortable prancing around without clothes on, but you should have waited for me." It was Cagalli, her voice seemed playful, amused even.

Athrun did what his mind can only think of this time; in a mad dash, he dove towards the bed, took hold of the blankets and tried covering himself with it. And, in his frantic movements to cover himself up, he accidentally fell of the edge of the bed. He muttered a string of curses when his head hit the carpeted floor first, and then he heard a laugh. He scowled and decided to sit up from the slump his currently in, he then saw Cagalli, who is currently wearing a black tank top and boxers, one hand wiping the tears from her eyes, due to laughing, and one hand holding clothes, his clothes. It was the first time in his life that Athrun Zala lost his cool, in front of a girl nevertheless; his scowl deepened, "It's not funny you know."

Cagalli looked at him, her eyes still amused, "What do you mean it's not funny? That was hilarious!" She tried to suppress the laughter from erupting once again and started approaching Athrun's spot on the floor. She was smiling and then she held out her free hand to him. "Get up, take a bath, and change." He took her hand and stood up with one hand clutching the blankets to him like a lifeline. Cagalli handed him a bunch of clothes afterwards.

"You know, we need to talk." Athrun said apprehensively as he looked at the girl in front of him, her smile fading. Did he say anything wrong?

"I agree." Cagalli turned around and pointed to him the adjoined bathroom. She said she'll wait by the room's balcony with a hefty breakfast for him.

***

Athrun ran the towel on his wet hair and used a comb placed on the sink to arrange his locks in its usual manner. He straightened out the red shirt and readjusted the khaki shorts, both garments given to him by Cagalli. He looked at his reflection on the bathroom's mirror; two small crescent-shaped wounds decorated his neck. He never thought that Cagalli can be that rough when it came to those things, his face reddened at the idea and he sighed. They really need to talk about what had transpired between them. With one final look at the mirror, he stepped out of the bathroom and walked across the room where the balcony is located. Cagalli's back was facing him; she was probably relishing the fantastic view from the balcony.

Cagalli instantly whipped her head backwards when she sensed that Athrun was approaching, she gave him a small smile and invited him to sit on the chair across her. Athrun sat comfortably on the chair and was kind of happy to see an assortment of food laid out on the table in front of him and Cagalli. He chuckled to himself thinking that Cagalli never joked that a hefty breakfast would be served.

"Dig in." As soon as Cagalli said the words, Athrun wolfed down the food in front of him. He knows that it's not proper to eat so fast but what the heck, he didn't know that he was this hungry. Cagalli quietly sipped her hot chocolate and casted a sideways glanced at the guy sitting across her, "Athrun Zala, am I right?"

Athrun nodded, he momentarily put his fork down, "Cagalli Yula Attha, correct?" She nodded and bit a piece of toast. Athrun devoured the food on his plate as fast as he can, the sooner they talk, the sooner he'll be enlightened. He gulped down the glass of milk and placed the empty glass beside his also empty plate.

"So… uh… what happened last night to you, to us? I don't remember much." Athrun stuttered to break the silence. Cagalli looked at him, and she sighed.

"Last night… last night was a huge mistake on my part." Cagalli said, her cheeks slightly invaded by a blush.

Athrun couldn't help but blurt out, "It hurts my male pride to say this but, that was my first kiss and you stole it…" He flushed a bit, and added quietly, "…as well as my virginity."

"WHAT?!" A flustered Cagalli was now looking at him as if he had grown three heads, "YOUR VIRGINITY?! For your information, Mister Athrun Zala, we did not fucking do what you had in your perverted mind!"

"We didn't do it?" Athrun was a bit dumbfounded, and was a tad bit disappointed too. So nothing happened, eh? "So, uh, why was I naked this morning then?"

"I needed to get you out of your dirty clothes, the forest floor was a bit damp last night and your clothes unfortunately got wet. And, I did not want my beloved bed to be soiled."

"You are not the one who stripped me, right?" Athrun raised an inquiring brow; he was kind of amused on how their conversation's going. His current companion, Cagalli, is quite entertaining.

"I asked someone to do it, you pervert."

"By the way, where am I?" Athrun looked around the room as well as the spectacular view from the balcony.

"You are currently in the Attha Manor, specifically, in my room." He wasn't a bit surprised when she answered, his assumption was right. Truly, almost all of the students in ORB International High School belong to the higher strata of the society. He also lives in a mansion, the Zala Manor, somewhere in the uptown villages in the city. And then it hit him—he didn't go home last night, his servants must be worried about him! His face crumpled a bit.

"Don't worry, I had someone take care of informing your butler that you are staying overnight on one of your friends' manor." Cagalli gave him a small reassuring smile. He sighed, relieved, "Thank you."

Cagalli cleared her throat, a frown etched on her face, "I need to tell you something, I need to."

Athrun noticed the serious tone carried by her statement and he nodded for her to continue.

"You see, last night was a mistake, a very troublesome mistake. I am really sorry, Athrun. What happened last night was something unspeakable." Athrun raised an eyebrow as if urging her to elaborate further. "I… I marked you. I marked you as my groom."

"Huh?" Athrun didn't understand it one bit. Marked as a groom, what? Cagalli sighed, "Maybe, I should tell you a secret, Athrun." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. A long pause, "I am a vampire."

"A vampire?" Cagalli opened her eyes only to see Athrun suppressing a snigger, "Are you kidding me? Vampires don't exist!" With that, Athrun's laugh filled the room.

"Damn you, Zala." Her eyes narrowed at the person who sat across her.

"You have an awesome punchline." Athrun laugh subsided, now, only an amused smile played on his lips. "Seriously, Attha, you are funny."

Cagalli gritted her teeth for she was nowhere near being funny right now, "Do you want a proof, Zala?"

"I told you, Cagalli, there are no such things as vamp—"

"You were saying?" Cagalli was now behind Athrun, her head poised on his neck, on the specific spot where the two crescent-shaped wounds lay. "I wouldn't mind doing it again."

Athrun turned around from his seat and instantly placed a hand over the wounds, Cagalli was nowhere behind him. "Were you looking for me? I'm here, Zala." Athrun's eyes widened and slowly turned around. Cagalli was back in her seat, her arms crossed in front of her chest, and was grinning wickedly, her white teeth showing. And then he noticed something unusual, her canines were longer, like a wolf's deadly fangs. He felt a shiver run up his spine.

"Do you believe me now or do I still have to draw out some of your blood?"

Athrun scowled, he currently didn't trust himself to move or to even speak. He just looked at the baffling girl, no, vampire in front of him. Cagalli took Athrun's silence as a signal to continue, "So, as I was saying, I am a vampire. Vampires do exist, Zala, we mingle with humans, and yes, we drink blood.

"Last night… last night was one of those nights, days, when vampires hunt, not for food, but for a mate. Our pheromones can get off the hook during those days which can make us ravage civilians recklessly if we don't control ourselves. The pheromones affect the vampire's whole being, case in point, when a vampire is a loner, in much simpler terms, single. Loner vampires are greatly affected by this since they do not have a mate, a bride or a groom, to satisfy their desires. Yesterday morning, when you saw me at the courtyard, I was trying to control myself, I was fighting the urges. I thought that that was over, but come dismissal time, the urges, the pheromones started to act out again. One of my friends, a vampire of course, told me to go home already to prevent accidents, however, I didn't. I stayed in the girl's comfort room, locking myself inside one of the cubicles, to again control myself. When I felt fine, I proceeded to the parking lot at the back of your building, but then I saw you, and the urges came back again."

"So, that was why you ran away?" Athrun was slowly being convinced, he was kind of scared but he tried to understand Cagalli's condition at the same time. He is slowly putting the pieces of the puzzle together through Cagalli's accounts. She nodded at his inquiry.

"I was so scared. I didn't know what to do; I was already craving for blood so I ran to the small forest to find some animal to feed on. However, you followed me. Your scent, your blood, was just tempting, Athrun. I'm so sorry." Cagalli's head lowered, her bangs now covering half of her face. "The pheromones took over me. Almost everything was a blur, all I remembered was me pouncing on you and kissing you senseless. I didn't even notice that I bit you already and was already drinking your blood if you haven't stopped me. Thank you, Athrun, for stopping me and saving yourself," Cagalli looked up and gave him a small smile, "if you didn't stop me, it is either you are already dead or you are already a vampire."

"So what does that got to do with me being your groom?" Athrun asked for he needed to know. A blush spread across Cagalli's face.

"I… I already drank at least fifty percent of your blood Athrun, about three liters—"

"THREE LITERS?!" Athrun was shocked and enlightened at the same time; he now knows how the hell he managed to wolf down a table full of food in a few minutes. She nodded pathetically.

"That percentage of the blood I drank is enough for me to mark you as mine, as my groom." She blushed again; in the back of his head, something tells Athrun that he is stuck in a very bad situation. Cagalli continued, "When a loner vampire bites another loner vampire, even a drop of blood is enough to mark each other as a bride and a groom. However, when a loner vampire bites an unsuspecting human, a huge amount of blood is needed for marking, a bit more would turn the human into a vampire, and a bit more can be fatal."

Cagalli already said earlier that he saved himself from turning into a vampire so that means, he was just marked as her groom. It somewhat makes sense to him somehow, "Does this mean that you are already my bride? And how does this bride-groom thing works?"

"No. I'm not your bride for you are not a vampire at the first place. The bride and groom couple name calling is only applicable to vampires, and since you are human, you are just my groom, that's it." Cagalli was somewhat relieved at the fact that Athrun was catching up with the whole vampire concept and also thankful at the fact that he is taking the information sensibly. If it was another man, he might have jumped off the balcony right now thinking that she was mad or something. "The bride-groom relationship entails both vampires to give and take, which means you feed off from each other, you only drink each other's blood, well, they can still feed from animals though but they say that it will still not come at par at the satisfaction they get from feeding off their mate. In our case, it more of an all take relationship. I need you to supply me with blood so I can live."

"This is irreversible, correct? I can't back out?" She nodded at his questions, "So, you're treating me as a blood bank, is that it?" Athrun laughed nervously, "And I thought vampires are immortal?"

Cagalli was now uncomfortable on how Athrun valued himself in their new relationship of sorts, "Don't worry, I won't be treating you like a blood bank. I would only drink if necessary, that is at least once a week, is that okay?" He nodded nervously, he is now scared, Cagalli laughed inwardly. "Well, vampires are immortal, but there are certain ways that they can die. One is from starvation, which only works when his or her mate dies, the vampire experiences extreme depression and somewhat forbids himself to feed from other sources. It is a sad way to die. Another one is vampire wars, not really wars but somewhere along the lines of killing your own kind. I really don't know how the other vampires did it but it was one of the reasons why there's only a few of us left."

"I'm so sorry to hear that." Athrun was now looking at a frowning Cagalli, for some reasons, he did not want to see her sad, "It's okay." Cagalli reassured him with a weak smile.

"By the way, if I can't call you my bride, what can I call you, or at least what do you want me to call you?" Since their accidental relationship is irreversible, Athrun thought that he might as well go with the flow destiny was taking him.

"Cagalli. Just Cagalli." She smiled a genuine smile that Athrun, her groom, deserved.

"So we're like in a girlfriend-boyfriend sort of relationship right now?" Athrun asked uneasily, he never had a serious relationship with a girl before.

"Somewhat like that but not really. Feel free to flirt with other girls, your admirers most specially. The only thing I own is your body, your blood, but not your heart." _Well, at least not yet._

"I think we should call it a day, even though it is still bright and sunny, don't you think?" Cagalli stood up from her seat and stretched her arms upwards. Athrun also stood up from his seat and sighed, "Yeah. I think I should go. I still need to digest what we have discussed so far and what kind of ruse I got into."

"I'm really sorry, Athrun, for getting involved." _It was also your fault you were there_, Cagalli frowned a bit, "I'll try to make it up to you, I promise."

"Hey, it's okay. As long as I don't get harassed like last night on a daily basis, it's fine." Athrun joked to lighten up the mood, Cagalli hit him squarely on the arm, he winced.

"Let's go, I'll drive you home."

***

Much to Athrun's surprise, Cagalli didn't even change her clothes; she was still wearing that black tank top and her ridiculous chili-printed boxers. Athrun sighed; he was now on the passenger seat of Cagalli's car gripping the car handles for his dear life. Cagalli drove like a madman, driving the car as if it was a space ship, and ignoring the speed limits of the road. He's thankful that they haven't been caught yet. With his free hand, he rearranged, for the umpteenth time, the things cradled on his lap, his school bag and his washed and neatly pressed school uniform he wore yesterday. He looked at Cagalli, her fingers were drumming on the steering wheel while waiting for the stoplight to turn green. "Cagalli, can you please drive slower? It's a nice Saturday morning for a leisurely drive."

"I'm driving leisurely, Athrun. I'm more relaxed when I drive fast." Cagalli gave Athrun a mischievous smirk.

"You know, girls usually drive slower…" Cagalli raised her eyebrows at Athrun's statement, he coughed, "On second thought, you're not an ordinary girl."

"Wow. Thanks for pointing that out." Cagalli remarked sarcastically and refocused on the road. Athrun didn't miss the frown slowly forming on her lips, "I'm sorry."

Cagalli nodded but never looked back at Athrun. The drive became more silent, Athrun wanted to talk more but then Cagalli ignored him like a speck of dust. He was a bit surprised when she informed him that they've arrived in his manor, true enough, her car was currently parked by the humungous gates of his house.

Athrun gripped the car's door, hesitating if he should already get out, "Thank you for the ride, Cagalli."

"You're welcome." Cagalli didn't even look at him, he wanted to scream, and he did inwardly. He did not want any awkwardness to end this day, he decided to speak up, "So—"

"Athrun, I'm really sorry about what happened." Even though he got cut off by Cagalli, he was happy that she now looked at him albeit a little guilty due to the events that had transpired, "I'll make up to you, I promise." She smiled.

"It's okay, Cagalli. You don't have to do anything." He smiled back, and got out of Cagalli's car. "You don't have to apologize every single time. I kind of understand, really. We're both new to this thing." He gave another reassuring smile and closed the car's door gently. Cagalli watched Athrun from the inside of her car; he walked across in the front of the said vehicle and punched a button on a small device attached to the stone wall by the gateway. She slid down her car door's window and called Athrun's attention, "Athrun," he looked back at her, "Thank you." He nodded with a smile, a subtle whirring noise made him and Cagalli look forward, the gates were already being opened. He looked back at her, a smile adorning his face, "So, see you on Monday?"

She nodded gladly and took this as a cue to leave, not before adding something that have been imprinted on her thoughts since earlier this morning, with an amused tone in her voice, she said her thought out loud.

"By the way, Athrun. Nice ass!" And with that she drove off leaving a flushed Athrun Zala.

* * *

End of Chapter Two

**Author's Notes:** So, I have to clear up that the accident happened on a Friday thus making this day on the story a Saturday. I'm kind of rereading the previous and the current chapter and I can't help but notice how much I suck at sentence construction and other grammatical thingamajigs. I'm sorry for my writing deficiencies, dear readers. But please, still do continue reading and reviewing, it makes authors happy. Believe it!


	3. Need

**Good Morning, My Groom!**

**Chapter Three: Need**

"So, see you on Monday?"

The inquiry replayed in her mind, almost like a Gregorian chant, haunting, reverberating. She is somewhat afraid on the thoughts of the possible things that may and can happen the day, afraid that her feelings, her thoughts, as well as her actions will go awry when she meets him again. She is new to this relationship of sorts with Athrun. Well, it's not really a mutual relationship but more of a biased one, with her being dependent on him. And right now, two days after the fateful encounter between her and him, she felt, albeit reluctantly, that she needed him every single moment. However, she doesn't know if she is just craving for his blood or if she is just craving for him, his attention, and his love.

Cagalli shook her head at the thought. She scolded herself for thinking of such things, especially the last one. She sighed. She needs to ask Shiho about this bride-groom thing since she experienced it first. She looked at her wrist watch, 11:45AM, fifteen more minutes until lunch hour. She frowned and turned back her attention to the teacher's babbling.

***

As soon as the lunch hour bell rang, Cagalli shot out of her seat and rushed out of the room. She was greeted by a swarm of female students walking casually along the hallway. Even with a wide hallway, Cagalli found it hard to walk without stopping since some of the students walked in groups therefore effectively blocking a huge part of the said hall, and add the fact that their classroom is positioned next to the right staircase therefore making most half of the female students in the third floor go in their way. Nevertheless, she is still thankful to those people who give her way.

Reaching the end of the hall where Shiho's room is located, she peeked inside the door and scanned the room. She frowned when she saw Shiho's seat empty. Where did she go now? Knowing Shiho and Yzak, they could be everywhere, either in public or worse, hidden. She grunted.

"Miss Cagalli?" A soft voice interrupted her thoughts. She craned her neck to the side and found a girl standing beside her with long auburn hair and baby blue eyes, she is smiling and there is a weird glint in her big eyes. "May I help you?"

Cagalli shivered inwardly. She now remembered that this girl, one of Shiho's classmates, has a huge crush on her, she used to stalk her even in the comfort room! Cagalli momentarily removed the disturbing thoughts in her head and decided to respond with a small smile, "By any chance, do you know where Shiho go to?"

"I think she is going to have lunch with her boyfriend," the girl twirled a strand of her auburn hair around her finger, probably, an attempt to look cute. Cagalli mentally gagged; however, she managed to nod, signaling her to continue. "In the Boys' Division lunch hall, I've heard."

"Ah, I see. Thank you." Cagalli nodded as to say goodbye and walked away quickly. She shuddered as she still felt the girl's smoldering gaze at her back. She walked faster, while trying to shake off the creepy feeling in the pits of her stomach. After a few moments, Cagalli found herself outside the Girls' Division Building, a bit confused on where she was supposed to be heading. _Where again? The Boys' Division Building?_

She stopped on her tracks. The Boys' Division Building just screams the name of the person she's trying to avoid since earlier this morning—Athrun Zala. She blushed, and then groaned. She doesn't want to see him right now for she doesn't know what kind of uncontrolled embarrassment she might do in front of him. She sighed as she turned her heel away from the path she was supposed to take. The talk with Shiho can wait until later, but now, she needs to think.

Unconsciously, she started walking through the awfully familiar grounds of the courtyard.

***

The lunch hour bell rung in the air and the students are just simply ecstatic that their hunger would soon be satisfied. A gradual shuffling noise can be heard inside the classroom, the chairs being pulled back, the desks being left in a misaligned mess, the numerous footsteps against the polished floors. In the midst of all the noise, a frustrated sigh was barely heard.

"Hey Athrun, aren't you gonna eat lunch?"

Athrun looked up, his green-haired friend's concerned face peered at him curiously.

"I'm sorry, Nicol but I'm not hungry. You can go ahead." Athrun gave him a small smile.

"Are you sure?" Nicol asked hesitatingly. "Yzak's girlfriend will eat with us, you know."

"Oh," That caught Athrun's attention for a while. Nicol's bribe seemed tempting, they haven't seen Yzak's girlfriend since Yzak admitted he had one, and that was months ago.

Yzak Joule, believe it or not, is Athrun's friend. All of the people in the Boys' Division Building know that Yzak has some anger management problems and has the ability to knock up someone in mere seconds since he's part of the Karate Club, these facts can make the brawniest men in their building to back off in an instant. He's a huge snob and usually starts a small verbal fight with any of them, Athrun, Nicol and most especially, Dearka.

Dearka Elthsman, on the other hand, is their tanned, blonde-haired, perverted friend. He usually hits on any beautiful girl he sees, in their school, in the streets, in bars, anywhere, anytime. He may seem like a playboy but truth be told, he had never experienced a real relationship ever since. When he knew about Yzak having a girlfriend, he was utterly shocked, and then afterwards, he started teasing Yzak more as if their everyday bickering wasn't enough.

"So, are you still going to eat with us, Athrun?" Nicol's face looked hopeful. Athrun groaned inwardly, he never liked disappointing people, however right now, he just needs to. He needs to think and to probably reach a conclusion regarding his messed up thoughts as soon as possible. His left hand went involuntarily to his neck, the spot of flesh above his pulsing carotids, and then thoughts of a familiar blonde-haired girl suddenly invaded his thoughts. He sighed. He needs to deal with this as soon as possible. "I'm sorry, Nicol. I need to do something important. You go ahead, I'm sure they're already waiting. Is it okay if you say my apologies to Yzak's girlfriend for me?"

Nicol still looked hesitant, "…Sure. Well, if you finish early with your errands, a seat would always be available. See you later," His green-haired friend smiled and he smiled back, Nicol then left.

As soon as Nicol stepped out of the room, he leaned his head back and closed his eyes. Once again, images of a familiar blonde-haired girl flooded his mind, he sighed. He has been like this since yesterday—thoughts of Cagalli haunted him endlessly while his chest felt unreasonably heavy, like what he is feeling now. He grunted and opened his eyes. He needs to reason with himself, alone. And fortunately, he knows just the right place.

***

Athrun walked hastily along the path of the courtyard, only to turn to the grassy path slightly hidden by the bushes. He knew the path well, the path to his favorite bench, hidden among the bushes, isolated from all the noise. He was nearing the said bench when he saw, from afar, a person sitting on it. He groaned; what's with people finding his almost hidden bench?

He continued on his path and then stopped abruptly when he was only a few meters away from his bench. Mixed along the numerous shades of greens and browns of the foliage was the most distinct golden yellow, almost glistening as the sun rays hit it. He took a step forward—the golden yellow thing suddenly got carried effortlessly by the gentle breeze that passed. Another step—the sun rays seemed to be focused on the golden yellow thing, making the individual strands sparkle as it flew with the wind. And then, it hit him—blonde hair.

Could it be possible that that person is… _Cagalli?_

A sudden wave of memories flooded his mind, a girl with short blonde hair with matching golden eyes and a petite body being the subject. He took an involuntary step backwards. Maybe it wasn't a good thing to spend his lunch hour alone after all. Maybe he should accept Nicol's offer and head straight to the cafeteria. Yes, he mentally nodded and turned around.

He was about to go but paused mid-step.

"…Athrun?"

There is only one person he knows who has that deep feminine, soothing voice, Cagalli.

"Athrun, is that you?"

He took a deep breath and turned around. He walked a few steps and emerged from the shade of the trees. The first thing he saw was Cagalli's smiling face, and then he involuntarily smiled back and waved, "Hey."

He mentally slapped himself; what happened to the avoid-Cagalli-as-much-as-possible plan? He walked forward and took a seat on the unoccupied space of the bench, keeping a healthy distance between him and Cagalli. The wind blew, and then Athrun noticed that neither of them started a conversation since he sat down. He cast a sideways glance at his seatmate—Cagalli was concentrated on the half-empty box of chocolates in her hand, finally choosing a small block of intricately designed chocolate and popping it into her mouth.

"It's rude to stare, you know."

"Uhm… err…" Athrun scratched his head, smiling sheepishly as he did so; he cleared his throat for a bit, "Chocolates for lunch?"

Cagalli chuckled lightly, a blush creeping across her cheeks, "Ah, that," She looked again on the half empty box of chocolates, "You see, I forgot my lunch at home, and my wallet too." She looked at Athrun, embarrassment clearly on her face. "All I have is this."

Cagalli shoved the box a few inches from Athrun's surprised face, "Do you want some?"

"I'm…not hungry." Actually, Athrun is not fond of eating too many sweets, a "health nut" as Dearka teased. He took a deep breath, and regretted it afterwards—he inhaled the sweet, rich scent of the chocolate. It made his stomach churn in disagreement.

"Oh, come on, Athrun! I can hear your stomach grumbling already!" One of Cagalli's eyebrows shot up, "You haven't eaten lunch, haven't you?

"I… uh—" Athrun choked on his words because Cagalli shoved a small piece of chocolate into his slightly open mouth. He coughed, "Why did you do that for?!"

Cagalli laughed, "You wouldn't accept my offer so…" She wiped the tears that managed to escape from her eyes, she smiled apologetically afterwards, "I'm sorry, Athrun… You're not allergic, are you?"

Athrun sighed, Cagalli is just impossible. "No, I'm not. Don't worry."

A pregnant silence ensued before Athrun let out a small cough, "Thank you, by the way."

"You're welcome," Cagalli faced him, her bright face smiling. "It's the least I can do for you. You have given me so much, Athrun."

Her face softened, and then her right hand moved towards his face, then stopped as if hesitating. Athrun's confused eyes landed on hers. His eyes widened as Cagalli's smooth fingertips landed on his neck, on his pulsing carotids, on the wounds as small as pin pricks above it. His own hand shot up on the same spot, covering Cagalli's hand in the process. Cagalli's surprised eyes mirrored Athrun's emerald ones, both teens blushed. With this, Athrun looked away and inched away gingerly, settling himself on the edge of the bench.

"…I'm sorry."

Athrun looked at Cagalli, her face completely guilty. "It's not entirely your fault…" He sighed. He decided that this is probably a good time to tell Cagalli what has been bugging him since last night. "Well, you see, I had trouble sleeping last night."

Cagalli looked at him, her tawny eyes urging him to continue. "Why?"

"I did a little research."

"…Homework?"

"No…" Athrun looked at Cagalli squarely in the eyes, "About vampires."

With that, Cagalli closed her eyes and leaned on the bench's backrest, "Anything interesting?"

"You know, you don't exactly fit the descriptions on the internet, well, except about the blood-drinking part, err… I'm not really sure…"

"What exactly are the descriptions I don't fit in?" Cagalli's voice seemed interested; her eyes are now focused on the blue sky above them.

"Your skin isn't pale, your body temperature seems normal, you walk under direct sunlight…" Athrun trailed off and looked at Cagalli. She was smiling amusedly at him, "Ah, that. You see, we vampires have been around for centuries; the oldest ones I know would be more than a thousand years old. Anyways, since our ancestors have been here that long, they learned to adapt. They say—from the stories that have been passed on from generations to generations—that the elder vampires did a sort of trial and error with the sun exposure thing. I don't exactly remember the details but I do recall that the first trials simply failed, the next ones were successful but painful," Cagalli cringed, "painful in a way that their skin got burnt, and also they smelt of smoke afterwards, nevertheless, those trials started it all. Once in a while, vampires will go out in broad daylight, away from the people of course, which made it easier for them to hunt livestock or wild animals. Then, the next generations of vampires got the immunity they needed from the sun, making it easier for them to mingle with people and to live somewhat normally. Well, I think we are still normal minus our thirst for blood. We eat, sleep, go to work, study…" She shrugged, "I'm not really sure about that pale skin and the body temperature thing. I look pretty much myself before."

"…Before? You mean when you were still human?" Cagalli's lips closed in a tight line, Athrun gulped; maybe it isn't the right time for him to pry about Cagalli's life. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—I just read something about turning into a vampire when you repeatedly get bitten…" He shrugged, "I was just worried..." He looked at Cagalli anxiously, "Would I turn into a… vampire?"

Cagalli's eyes widened, a small gasp escaped her lips, Athrun's question was something uncertain, and she doesn't know what to say. "I…" She tried rummaging her brain for answers but she found nothing, instead, she decided to voice out what she felt was right. "I won't let that happen, Athrun. I promise I won't!"

Cagalli's eyes were just as determined as her voice when she spoke, Athrun couldn't help but be reassured. He sighed in relief as if a massive weight has been lifted from his shoulders. He smiled, "Thank you, Cagalli."

"You're welcome, Athrun." Cagalli gave him a small smile and then looked away. "You know, I had trouble sleeping last night too."

Cagalli's voice was barely above a whisper that Athrun had to scoot nearer, he now sat a good few inches from Cagalli. He looked over at the blonde girl beside him, her head was bent making her face hidden from his view, and her hands were clutching the sides of the box of chocolates. "I know it might sound weird or creepy… uhm… I can't help but think about you."

She looked up and was surprised when she found that her face was only a few inches away from Athrun's, both blushed crimson and looked away at the same time.

"Me too..." Athrun tried to stop the blush threatening to invade his whole face. He cleared his throat and cast a glance at Cagalli. "Do you think its all part of the bride-groom thing?"

Cagalli looked at Athrun once again, "Oh, yeah… Maybe… I'm not really sure." She chuckled sheepishly and then turned her attention back to the chocolate box in her hands, she popped a small piece into her mouth, relishing the rich taste for a few seconds before turning her attention to her companion, "So, tell me more about you, Athrun."

"I guess you already know where I live, right?" She nodded. "Well, for starters, I live alone, that is excluding the butler and the caretakers at Zala Manor. My parents are in PLANTS, they sent me here at ORB International to study high school. They told me that it would be better that I get immersed on different cultures as soon as possible and they thought that ORB International would be the best place. Anyways, my parents visit whenever they can or when they're not busy."

"Don't you get lonely all by yourself?"

"Not really. My mom calls me almost everyday and well, I have some of my friends in PLANTS that got sent here by their parents too." He smiled, "They literally trash the house when they come over. And sometimes, they throw parties at their own houses and we also go out sometimes."

"Go out? You mean like… shopping?" Cagalli raised a teasing brow at Athrun, an accompanying smile adorned her face.

"If buying books and new games something you consider for shopping, then yes."

Both of them laughed at Athrun's conclusion however, their laughter ceased when they heard a bell ring, signaling that lunch hour is almost finished. Athrun looked at his wristwatch 12:57, "Wow. Time sure flies fast. We still have three minutes to get back. I think we should go now."

Cagalli nodded. Both of them stood from their seats and started walking along the beaten path to the courtyard, exchanging various comments as they did so. They saw students already going inside the glass doors as they reached the wide pavement between the Boys' Division and the Girls' Division Buildings.

"Uh… Thanks for the chocolates, Cagalli." Athrun said, "I… I really need to go so… bye?"

"Oh. Uhm… Bye!" Cagalli said awkwardly. Why was it so hard to say a simple goodbye to Athrun anyways? She looked at Athrun's retreating back and then she remembered something, a question that she forgot to ask earlier because her attention got diverted. She called Athrun albeit hesitatingly, "Hey Athrun!"

He looked back at her, his face inquiring.

"By the way, what descriptions do I fit in?"

Athrun smiled. He answered Cagalli with the loudest he can do without shouting.

"You're beautiful."

With a blush on Cagalli's face and a soft smile on Athrun's, they parted ways only to be back again every lunch hour on Athrun's hidden bench discussing their lives and eating lunch together.

***

_…Where's Cagalli?_

Athrun looked at his wristwatch; it read 12:17, seventeen minutes past the start of the lunch hour. He looked around, and sighed dejectedly. He looked at his wristwatch again, and frowned. The dial ticked continuously, and Athrun heard each tick. He frowned. It is as if his wristwatch is screaming the obvious—Cagalli is late.

Cagalli never missed their unplanned lunch meetings since Monday. In fact, she usually arrives a minute or two before Athrun does, her hefty lunch already laid out beside her.

Athrun looked at his wristwatch again, 12:20. A small grunt escaped his lips. He had been waiting for fifteen minutes already. It's unlike Cagalli to be late—maybe something happened? Athrun gasped when his heart started thumping loudly. _What's happening to me?_

He shot up from his seat and then hurriedly walked through the clearing, and went straight to the path to the Girls' Division Building. It's as if time stopped when Athrun entered the said building—as soon as he stepped inside, the students in the lobby, all girls of course, looked at him, and then after a few seconds of silence, a lot of mumbling and blushing from the girls engulfed Athrun's senses. Just great, leave it to the Zala charm to make a grand entrance he didn't need. He sighed, and turned back his attention to his mission—find Cagalli. Where's her classroom again? Athrun tried to recall their conversations for the past few days and found his answer. _Third floor… first classroom next to the right staircase…._

Athrun proceeded to the said classroom; he was walking quite fast, almost running all the way through the staircase. His heart was pounding, not only is he worrying about Cagalli but he also felt something bad happening. His steps quickened when he reached the third floor landing, he went straight to the door of the first classroom. He was surprised when he found the door wide open, but he was more surprised when he saw an empty classroom—an empty, disorganized classroom. His eyebrows furrowed as his heartbeat accelerated, the classroom looks as if someone trashed it. Numerous papers and books decorated the floor, some of the chairs are toppled over and the desks are not in their proper alignment, it's as if the desks were messily set aside to make a relatively spacious way to the door. _What happened here?_

He was on the midst of thinking, staring intently on the chaotic room as he did so, when someone tapped him on his shoulder. His head whipped sideward to find an old burly man with gentle eyes wearing a gray overall, the word "maintenance" was embroidered in his right chest pocket.

"Excuse me, son." He shot a gentle smile at Athrun when he stepped aside. The maintenance man started picking up the papers and books that were on the floor. He was on the midst of aligning the desks when Athrun's wit returned and he stuttered, "Excuse me… uhm…" The older man looked at him and he continued, "May I know what happened here?"

"Ah. I'm not really sure, I was just sent here but…" The older man scratched his head, "But I heard that someone fainted during the lecture. I think the whole class brought her to the clinic." He smiled sheepishly at Athrun.

Athrun nodded and tried to keep a straight face while he thanked him. His heart beat soared while sudden images of a fainting Cagalli filled his mind. His right hand clutched his raging chest as he leaned his back on the classroom's door. He sighed heavily and tried to flood his mind with optimistic thoughts. _Get a grip, Athrun. Cagalli's stronger than that. _The thoughts calmed him a bit and decided to go where the rest of the class went—the clinic. He was about to stride out when someone blocked his way.

"Athrun Zala, am I right?" Athrun looked at the brown haired girl before him, her brown eyes piercing through him as she asked. As soon as Athrun nodded, the girl's hand shot out to the front of his overcoat, grasping the black fabric tenaciously.

"Come with me."

A few minutes after being dragged from the third floor of the Girls' Division building, Athrun found himself in the school's parking lot in front of a dark blue sports car that somewhat looks like Yzak's. Before he can even ask the mysterious brown haired girl about his own messed up thoughts, he found himself buckled rather tightly on the passenger's seat. A few seconds after his realization, he crashed somewhat harshly on the seat's backrest. He looked at the girl on the driver's seat, her hands gripping the steering wheel firmly, her eyes focused on the road. His mouth fell open when he saw the surroundings outside the tinted windows of the car, the buildings and the other cars seemed like huge blurs as they passed. The girl was driving like a madman, like Cagalli. With the thought of Cagalli suddenly invading his head, his wit returned at the same time.

"…H-hey!" He stuttered nervously, "Where are you taking me?!"

The girl shot him a sideways glare, Athrun felt a cold shiver run down his spine. After a few minutes, Athrun tried again, "…Uhm, Miss? Where are you taking me?"

Another death glare was thrown at Athrun, nevertheless, the girl answered, "We're here."

Athrun whipped his head back front. A sudden realization settled on Athrun's head when they entered a somewhat familiar gate. His eyes went wider when they pulled onto a more familiar porch. He can't help but gasp, "Cagalli!" He looked at the girl on the driver's seat, "Is there something wrong with Cagalli?!" He asked with urgency. His heart suddenly pumped faster as the girl nodded gravely.

"She needs you."

"What do you—" Athrun got cut off when the girl took hold, once again, of his shirt collar and started dragging him to the front door. The front door opened and a plump woman wearing a maid's outfit welcomed them, worry written all over her face, "Lady Shiho, Master Athrun…"

Athrun looked at the older woman and was about to ask about Cagalli when the brown-haired girl, Shiho, beat him to it. "Manna, where's Cagalli?"

"She's at her room, in bed." They started walking—with an alarmed Athrun being dragged by Shiho rather harshly—through the luxurious hallway of the Attha Manor as Manna spoke, "Mwu's forcing Cagalli to drink from some blood bags but as usual, Cagalli's being stubborn. She says she won't drink blood any—"

"Cagalli needs my blood!" With much force he didn't know where he got, Athrun freed himself from Shiho's tight hold and ran through the rest of the hallway and the grand staircase. He still remembers the way to Cagalli's room even though he had only been there once. He silently thanked his brilliant memory while trying to calm his raging heartbeat. Cagalli needs his blood… _No._ Cagalli needs _him._

"She told me that she would rather die from starvation than to drink from you again, you know."

Athrun stopped in his steps. He turned his head sideways to find Shiho beside him. She smirked, "She decided not to drink from you again. She wouldn't risk turning you into one of us." Athrun's lips formed a tight line. He suddenly remembered a snip of their first conversation during the fateful Monday lunch hour.

_"Would I turn into a… vampire?"_

_"I won't let that happen, Athrun. I promise I won't!"_

"Zala?"

Athrun blinked. Was he spacing out too much? He looked at his companion. The girl beside him was now frowning.

"What are you gonna do now?" Shiho was looking at the end of the hallway where Cagalli's room is located.

"I…" He clenched his fist. "I don't really know…" He wants to help Cagalli. They have officially been friends since the start of the week, and as a friend, he feels obliged to help her. Another part of him, his groom side, wants to throw himself to Cagalli and let her drink his blood. However, since Cagalli, as Shiho said, decided not to drink from him anymore, another part sprouted out—a part of him who just wants to walk away, to leave Cagalli suffering. He clenched his fist tighter.

"Cagalli's only option is to drink animal blood, but animals here in the city wouldn't suffice her thirst. Birds, cats and dogs are not worth hunting. Mwu is trying to make her drink from blood bags… but she's too stubborn." Shiho sighed and started walking forward. "It's your choice, Zala. Help her or not, we will try not to let her die."

In an instant, Shiho was at Cagalli's bedroom door. She slid inside, and left the door ajar. Athrun walked forward, his steps getting larger as he closed in the distance between him and Cagalli's door. He stopped directly in front of the door; he can hear Shiho's demanding voice, Cagalli's groans, and another man's requests. If he enters Cagalli's room, he should be subjected to blood loss. He gulped and looked at the door this really what he wanted? His eyebrows furrowed. The past few days have been better, thanks to Cagalli. She is probably the only single girl in school that doesn't have a fangirl complex when it comes to him, or doesn't faint when he comes into view. _Wow, that's pretty shallow reasoning, Athrun Zala._ He groaned._ What should I do?_

And then instantly, his mother's calming voice flooded his confused mind._ Athrun, just follow your heart._

With that, he pushed the door and entered.

***

"Mwu! Stop shoving that thing on my face! How many times do I have to tell you? I don't want to drink human blood anymore!" With the meager energy she had left, Cagalli managed to push the brawny, blonde man a few meters away from her; she also managed to fall from her bed producing a soft thud as she did so.

"Cagalli! Stop pushing Mwu away! You're already weak…" Shiho suddenly appeared on her side, hoisting her up back on the bed. "You need the blood."

"Shiho, I told you, I won't drink human blood anymore!" She looked Shiho straight in the eyes. "Let me move, Shiho. I will hunt if I need to." Cagalli tried freeing herself from Shiho's hold. The brown haired girl's grip suddenly felt like strong steel cuffs, she groaned. She doesn't want to admit it but they're right, she's already too weak.

Mwu started to approach her again, waving a filled blood bag as he did so, "Cagalli, you need to drink this. Kira will have our head if you die!"

The smell of human blood was too intoxicating, Cagalli moaned loudly. She frowned and then hissed with much venom in her voice, "Don't you dare take one more step, Mwu!"

She smirked inwardly when the older man stopped. She was on the midst of relishing in her small moment of glory when another scent invaded her room, a scent that was all too familiar, the scent that she was craving for.

"Athrun…"

He was standing by her doorway, a determined look in his immaculate face. A cold shiver ran through Cagalli's spine. He wouldn't force her to drink his blood, right? He took a step forward, his determined emerald eyes focused on her surprised golden ones.

"Ah, there you are lad!" Mwu blocked her line of vision of Athrun, and she was thankful for she wouldn't last a minute longer under his intent gaze. She wiggled under Shiho's hold, trying to break free so she could run away.

"Don't even think about it, Cagalli." Shiho was smirking at her. Her eyes widened from realization, "Shiho, you…"

"It's already too late to hunt… You're_ too_ weak." Shiho shook her a bit for emphasis. "He's the best shot we have."

Cagalli frowned and closed her eyes dejectedly. "Shiho, I told you—"

"Cagalli…"

Cagalli's eyes snapped open while trying to suppress the tears that are threatening to fall. His voice, as well as his scent, started poking holes into her fortress-like system. Everything about him is intoxicating—his deep masculine voice, his glowing emerald eyes, his immaculate face, his warmth, his scent, his blood. Involuntarily, Cagalli looked up. She is now face to face with Athrun Zala, her intoxicating groom.

"Hey." He smiled softly, one of his hands found its way to her hair, running through it gently.

Cagalli groaned inwardly. She said, barely above a whisper, "Don't do this to me, Athrun… Go away…"

"How are you feeling?" He asked anxiously.

Cagalli frowned; Athrun just ignored her request! Damn it. She bent her head down, the tears fell effortlessly. _Damn Shiho for bringing Athrun here. Damn Athrun for being so… so… worried._

She felt him sit beside her, the bed's foam dipping with his weight. Her eyes widened when a pale hand covered one of her clenched fist. She looked at Athrun, frowning disapprovingly as she did so. Her head turned forward when she heard Shiho clear her throat.

"Well, we'll leave you two alone. Let's go, Mwu." Shiho said while hauling Mwu with her. The door closed behind them with a soft click.

"Cagalli…" Cagalli felt him squeeze her hand. "It's my choice. Shiho didn't force me."

Cagalli tried to pull her hand away from Athrun's grasp. She groaned, she couldn't even outdo a mere human force. "Let go of me."

"No." He tightened his grasp on her hand.

Cagalli had enough. Mwu had been using his force on her, Shiho had been using her force on her, and now, Athrun is too. With all her might, she lashed her free hand aiming at Athrun's cheek, but it never landed. She groaned; even her speed is affected, just perfect! Athrun is now holding both her hands in a tight grip, as if he would never let go.

"Cagalli…"

Cagalli's eyes widened when Athrun's face started closing in, the distance between their faces lessening. She leaned back and regretted it afterwards when she found herself falling effortlessly onto the bed, towing a surprised Athrun with her. Cagalli gasped when Athrun's body collided onto her smaller frame. She groaned, "Ugh… Athrun, get off me. You're too heavy."

Athrun moved on top of her, Cagalli was groaning as he did. He let go of Cagalli's hands and used his hands to push himself up. Cagalli sighed when Athrun's weight was lifted off from her. She looked around and blushed crimson when she realized their current position—Athrun was straddling her hips and his lean arms were on both sides of her head. She looked up only to find Athrun looking back at her, his face flushed like hers.

"Brings back memories, don't you think?" Athrun stammered. And then his face flushed even more, "Do I have to kiss you too?"

Cagalli's eyes widened. What the hell is happening? Her eyes widened even more when she realized that Athrun's face was closing onto hers, his eyes focused on the lower half of her face. She stuttered rather breathlessly, "…W-what are you doing?"

He looked back at her, his eyes a bit hazy. He asked, "May I?"

Athrun's face was only a few inches away from hers, and in fact, Cagalli can already feel his breath fanning against her skin. Cagalli used her already limp hands to touch Athrun's face. She felt a wave of energy and warmth course though her fingertips while she caressed his soft, unblemished face. Athrun's head lowered more into hers as if demanding an answer to his earlier question. She met him halfway and closed the gap between them.

It was a simple, innocent kiss that lasted a few seconds. Cagalli whimpered when Athrun's lips left hers, but moaned gladly when Athrun crushed his lips onto hers once again. The kiss grew more fervent as both their lips parted open allowing desired entry. Both invaded the hot cavern of each other's mouths while dancing an unannounced battle of passion. Their hands were everywhere, caressing each other's faces, clutching each other's hair, roaming freely all over each other's bodies. It was in these wandering touches that Cagalli's hands settled on Athrun's slender neck. She felt the heat emanating from his skin, but most especially, she felt the throbbing of the arteries underneath the strong muscles. She pulled away from Athrun's kisses, groaning at the sudden loss of contact.

"A-Athrun…" Cagalli moaned as Athrun placed butterfly kisses across her jaw. Her hands found their way to his midnight blue hair, she yanked it rather harshly.

"Ah! Ouch!" Athrun rubbed his sore head with one of his hands, his other one supporting his body so he wouldn't crush Cagalli underneath him. "What was that for?" He asked a bit irritated. He looked at Cagalli underneath him, blushing like an overripe tomato as he did when he saw her flushed face, her swollen lips, and some red spots on her jaw. "Uh…"

"Get off me. I need to hunt." Cagalli pushed Athrun away, but it was useless, she is still too weak, weaker even after their sudden make out session. Why the hell did Athrun kiss her? She quickly dismissed the thought while trying to stop another wave of imminent blush from coming.

"Shiho said earlier that you were too weak to hunt." Athrun didn't move a bit, the haze from his eyes earlier changed into a more determined glint.

Cagalli's lips formed a tight line. "Shiho's lying." She looked at Athrun squarely in the eyes, and glowered fiercely, "Get off me."

Athrun lifted himself a bit, providing a small space between his and Cagalli's upper bodies. Cagalli's eyes narrowed dangerously, Athrun was ignoring her requests once again! With his free hand, he loosened his black tie, and took it off after he expertly disentangled the knot, throwing it aside.

"What are you doing?" Cagalli asked nervously.

He unfastened the first four buttons of his white dress shirt, "I'm helping you."

Cagalli realized what he said and her eyes widened, "Athrun… don't do this." She bit her lips, when Athrun smiled at her nonchalantly.

"But I want to." With that Athrun sat down and lifted Cagalli up, with much protest coming from the blonde haired girl. He placed Cagalli comfortably on his lap.

"You're treating me like a baby." Cagalli scowled as she tried pushing herself away from Athrun. Her attempts were, once again, fruitless since Athrun locked his arms around her waist. She groaned a warning, "Athrun…"

"Are you ready, Cagalli?" One of Athrun's hands went to the back of Cagalli's head. He pushed her head downwards, directing it towards his neck. Cagalli's head rested on his shoulders, near the arch made by his neck and collarbone, when he felt a hot liquid drench his skin, and he is sure that it's not his blood. He looked down at Cagalli and frowned when he saw her sobbing quietly on his shoulder. He wiped the tears that were falling and asked, "What's wrong?"

She opened her eyes, her golden irises glistening. More tears fell as she spoke, "Athrun, please. Don't do this—"

Athrun crushed his lips against hers. It was the only way to stop Cagalli's whining. It was his choice that he entered this room, it was his choice to not let Cagalli suffer, it was his choice to give his blood to her, it was his choice to follow his heart—and he sure as hell was enjoying it. A moan escaped Athrun's lips after the short kiss. He held Cagalli's head to his neck, "Just do it, Cagalli. It's perfectly fine."

Cagalli sighed softly. Here is Athrun, giving himself to her, and there she is, refusing him. I'm so pathetic. She ran her hands through Athrun's neck, feeling the strong cords of his muscles once again. She placed butterfly kisses along his neck, like what he was doing to hers. She moaned when Athrun's teeth made the briefest contact on her neck's sensitive flesh. She tried dismissing the surge of pleasure running through her body so she can focus on her mission. She ran her lips along the length of Athrun's neck, trying to find a good spot. She went lower and felt the wild thumping of his carotids against his flesh. She kissed the said spot and then pierced the flesh with her elongated fangs. She heard Athrun whimper, but continued with her work. A fresh stream of blood erupted from the pierced flesh, and Cagalli drank it hungrily. She felt the energy course through her body as the blood circulated in her own system. She felt her strength and her senses come back. She smiled inwardly.

When she felt that she already had her fill, she licked the pierced flesh and it closed slowly. She licked off the excess blood and stroked it afterwards. She rested her head on Athrun's shoulder again, for some reasons, she felt tired even after drinking. She looked up, Athrun eyes were closed and he was breathing evenly. "Athrun?"

Athrun's eyes opened, his brilliant emeralds peered tiredly on her own golden ones. He smiled softly, "Hmm?"

"Thank you."

With that, Cagalli pressed her lips to his and closed the gap between them.

* * *

End of Chapter Three

**Author's Note:** BLOODY HELL. Well, that's 14 pages right there, a first for me! I'm so proud! *sparkles* Anyways, I've been out for too long! I was meaning to post Chapter 3 months ago but I reformatted my laptop and I forgot to back up the said document. I lost everything I've written so I felt kinda felt pathetic for a few weeks. School work also piled up so I can't write much. I hope this uber long chapter would be enough to compensate for my sudden inactivity. And as always, lots of grammatical errors here and there which makes me want to commit harakiri. I'm in desperate need of a beta-reader!!! Please do review! It would make me much much much happier!

(Btw, do you think my attempt at erotic writing sucks? Does this fanfic deserve to have a lemon?)


	4. Like A Rollercoaster

**Good Morning, My Groom!**

**Chapter Four: Like A Rollercoaster**

**

* * *

  
**

"Hey, Cagalli?"

Cagalli diverted her attention from her half-eaten sandwich to her seatmate. She looked at him with inquiring eyes. "What is it, Athrun?"

"Uhm...ah..." Athrun fidgeted in his spot. To say that he was nervous was an understatement. He looked back at Cagalli and then turned red at the proximity of their faces. Cagalli's eyebrow rose impatiently, so Athrun stuttered whatever he had in mind with the best of his ability.

"A-are you free...uh... th-this Saturday?" Athrun bowed his head to hide his growing blush. He felt Cagalli leaving his personal space, he glanced at her sideways. She was now leaning at the backrest of the bench, sporting a cute pout on her pink lips. Athrun fought the urge to kiss her senseless and berated himself for the thought.

"I think I'm free. Why?"

Of all the times, she needed to be dense now! Someone probably hates me. Athrun groaned inwardly. It was his first time to do this and he badly needed the courage to do so. He gulped and in one single breath he said, "LETSGOOUTONSATURDAY!"

Athrun looked at Cagalli. She was just frozen on her spot, her mouth agape. She blinked and then blushed as red as a ripe tomato. "You mean like a...a...d-date?"

Athrun flushed and smiled sheepishly. He nodded, "I mean... it's alright if you don't want to. I'm not forcing you or anything..." A small frown etched its way on his lips. Amidst the sound of the ringing bell signaling the end of lunch hour, he heard Cagalli's soft chuckle and he looked up. Cagalli was already standing, stretching her arms upwards. She turned around and faced him with a beaming smile.

"I thought you'd never ask."

***

Cagalli looked at herself in the mirror and grunted. She tugged on her clothes and took it off then threw it on the growing pile of clothes on her bedroom floor. She stomped to her closet again and looked murderously at the remaining clothes in there. She groaned. It was her first date and her closet is not cooperating.

"Come on! There's got to be something in here!" She rummaged mercilessly through the drawers, eyeing each piece carefully then discarding it afterwards with an accompanying groan. After harassing each drawer, she turned onto the hanged clothes and started tugging every piece with such passion, "OH GOD. WHY IS EVERYTHING SO...SO... FRILLY?!" Cagalli groaned and fell into a heap on the carpeted floor. "Why the hell did I even allow Lacus to shop for me? This..." She eyed her humungous cabinet again, "This is hopeless." She sighed.

Cagalli was in the middle of sulking when she heard her door open. She looked up and saw Mana's motherly face.

"Oh, dear! What are you doing there on the floor, my lady?" Mana immediately went to her side and hauled her up. "And what happened here?" The older lady scanned her room. Cagalli's frown deepened when Mana looked at her squarely in the eyes.

"I..." Cagalli groaned as the blush crept through her puffed cheeks, "I can't find anything to wear."

"Oh!" Mana's hands found their way to her chest in surprise, and then smiled happily afterwards. "I see. Trying to impress Master Athrun, are you?"

Cagalli's eyes widened at Mana's thought, "N-NO, NO, NO! I-It's not like that!" She said defensively while waving her hands frantically in front of her flushed face.

"Aww. My little darling is growing up! Don't worry, I will help you with all my might!" Mana started to scan Cagalli's dresser while humming happily. "I'm sure you have something here..."

"I've looked in there two times already and I swear, I can't find anything decent, Mana." Cagalli huffed and then laid on her bed angrily. She sighed when she still saw Mana rummaging through the rack, "It's okay, Mana. I can wear a comfy shirt and jeans or something..."

"What do you mean "a comfy shirt and jeans"?! Master Athrun deserves something more than that!"

Cagalli cringed as Mana flared up but she can't help but agree. She has been burrowing through her closet for more than an hour trying to find something special to wear. Athrun deserves that much for their date at least, however, her closet was not helping. "I know, Mana, but—"

"AH, THERE YOU ARE!"

Cagalli immediately stood up from her bed and her eyes widened at the piece that Mana is currently holding. Her face broke into a smile and she said, "MANA! THAT'S PERFECT!"

***

_I'm not that early, am I?_ Athrun Zala thought inwardly when he pulled up to the curb of the Attha Manor. He looked at his dashboard, 9:50, it read. Ten minutes earlier than the time he was supposed to pick Cagalli up. _Well, it's better to be early than to be late._

He went to the front door and straightened his clothes. He also carefully rearranged the bright yellow tulips that he is going to give to Cagalli. _I hope she likes them._ He sighed.

He was about to press the door bell when the door opened.

"Good morning, Master Athrun!" Mana's warm smile greeted a slightly surprised Athrun.

He cleared his throat to hide his shock and then smiled back, "Good morning, Mrs. Mana."

"I-Is Cagalli ready?" Athrun managed to stutter while being led inside the house by Mana. The older woman looked back at him while walking on the long receiving hall of the Attha Manor, "I'm sorry but Lady Cagalli is not yet ready. She told me that you can wait by the living room if ever you arrive early."

Athrun was led into the grand living room of the manor and was given a tray of cookies and a cup of tea while waiting. He can't help but look around the huge hall. There was a huge window illuminating the whole room, there was a cosy-looking fire place by the wall, in front of it was an expensive chair set that was distinctly Rococo in style, there was a huge plush carpet on the floor, and there were lots of little things decorating the room such as colorful artistic trinkets. However, there was one piece inside the room that kept his eyes from wandering—a painting of a little blonde girl sitting on an older man's lap. The man was wearing a Victorian get-up, and the little girl was wearing a pink frilly dress, her hair adorned with an elegant pink head dress. Both the older man and the little girl were smiling, but they didn't look alike even a bit. The man has dark brown hair peppered with white strands signifying old age and also has dark brown eyes, and the little girl has blonde hair and golden eyes, and quite frankly, it reminded him of Cagalli. Thoughts about Cagalli suddenly flooded his mind and he can't help but blush and smile as his mind automatically reinforced some distinct memories.

_Athrun found himself lying beside Cagalli after the fateful, blood-drinking incident. Cagalli's hands were bunched up on his white shirt while her sleeping head rested on his chest. Athrun smiled involuntarily, Cagalli had that effect on him at least. He chuckled silently at the thought. He yawned afterwards and decided to join Cagalli in the land of sleep._

Days after that have been more productive but confusing, in Athrun's opinion. During their daily lunches, there were these urges to kiss her when their faces meet, and he submitted to his urges. He was guilty for indulgence, yes he was, however, he can't help but smile in satisfaction whenever he pulls back and sees Cagalli—dazed and blushing.

Every night, Athrun berated himself for his actions but he couldn't help but do it again the next day. Every time that he is with Cagalli, he feels light-headed, he feels warm, he feels so alive that he could do anything. He actually arrived to a conclusion one night that he liked Cagalli more than a friend. He wanted to ask Dearka or Yzak about his current situation but he's more than sure that both of them would just tease him endlessly and will give a measly, unsignificant advice to his problem, so asking them is out of the question.

He, even though lacking in experience in such area of concern, decided that he should move a step forward. They have been kissing and sharing fond times, and Athrun can't be any happier, however he needs to clear something up. Today, Athrun decided that he will ask Cagalli to be his girlfriend. _No more hiding._ The thought produced a bigger smile on his already beaming face.

"What are you smiling about?"

Athrun's head turned to his side like a reflex when he heard Cagalli's voice. His face flushed partly because of the thoughts that were currently on his mind and partly because of the proximity of their faces. He cleared his throat and stuttered at the best as he could, "H-Hey Cagalli."

Cagalli's lifted brow returned back to its level position and then her face softened as she smiled back, "You're kind of early today."

Athrun's mind went blank when his eyes landed on Cagalli's angelic head—her soft blonde locks, her almond shaped eyes, her golden irises, her slightly red cheeks, her small nose, and her pink lips. _She looks so beautiful and... and... so kissable—GAAAAH!_ Athrun found the carpet interesting and decided to focus on its intricate detail while trying to suppress his heartbeat.

While Athrun felt that he was calming down, his eyes wandered and it landed on Cagalli's sandal-clad feet. _Cagalli's wearing sandals? I thought she was a sneakers and boots type of girl..._ Due to his growing curiosity, his eyes travelled upwards and saw Cagalli's slender legs in its naked glory. _She's not wearing pants?!_ His minimal inference caught him off-guard and he unconsciously moved two steps back. _God help me if Cagalli's wearing a short dress. I don't think my heart can't take it. _With this, he looked up and found something that made his heart skip a beat.

"C-Ca-Cagalli...You...You're wearing a dress!" Athrun's face contorted in a horrified-amused sort of way that looked kind of offending when paired with his shaky hands pointing towards Cagalli's dress.

Cagalli's face turned red—partly because of embarrassment but mostly because of anger._ How dare he look at me like that! Didn't he appreciate the effort I put into...into wearing this dress?!_ Her lips formed a tight line and said gravely, "EXCUSE ME FOR A MINUTE, MR. ZALA. I'M GONNA GO CHANGE."

Cagalli was on the middle of pushing the double doors of the living room when she felt a slight tug on her bare arms.

"DON'T! Don't do that... don't change." Those words were stuttered in between pants by a very familiar voice that made Cagalli's heart beat faster. He ran?

The faint hold on Cagalli's arm loosened and then, amidst the subtle huffs of air, she heard the distinct clack of shoes against the marble floors—he took a step forward. She sighed. _Fine. So he did notice it after all._ Cagalli smiled inwardly. _Stop being paranoid, Cagalli. You're doing this for him._ Cagalli mentally reminded herself. _Yes. It's all for him. For Athrun._ With this, she turned around and found a red-faced Athrun, a bit sweaty too because of the sudden physical exertion.

"I never thought running after a vampire would be so exhausting." He chuckled in between huffs while her face twisted into concern and guilt when she heard Athrun's heart rate.

"Don't do that again," they said in unison. Athrun's chuckles became louder while Cagalli's face broke into a grin.

Athrun cleared his throat and repeated what he said earlier, "Don't change, Cagalli."

Cagalli smirked, "You looked so horrified when you saw me, I thought you didn't like it."

"...I... Well, I...uh..."

"Yes, Athrun?"

"I..." Athrun's face turned red, Cagalli thought he looked quite cute, "...I was just, uh, surprised. I never expected you'd wear something like this...um...you look so beautiful."

"Oh..." Cagalli gasped faintly when she heard Athrun's words. She flushed, even more than Athrun. "Th-Thanks..." She smiled genuinely. Her efforts have not been fruitless!

"These are for you." Athrun handed Cagalli the bouquet of yellow tulips and she accepted it with a smile. "Thank you..."

Cagalli sniffed the tulips and couldn't help but smile wider. Even though receiving flowers from anonymous people through her locker has been a daily thing in which she has been sick of, for some reasons, she couldn't help but accept Athrun's offering. _Athrun's tulips are different... way different_. She gave Athrun one of her megawatt smiles and asked him, "Shall we go then?"

***

After a few minutes, Cagalli found herself strapped on the passenger seat of Athrun's car, looking interestingly on the surroundings that they kept passing through. She actually didn't have any idea where Athrun's taking her—they didn't exactly talk about the details of their date. After a few more seconds of thinking, she finally asked Athrun, "Where are we going anyways?"

"Um... Zeta Theme Park..." Cagalli's eyes widened, Athrun panicked, "If you don't like it then, uh, we can watch the movies—"

"ZETA THEME PARK?! You mean the new theme park opening today?!" Cagalli bellowed excitedly, her smile reached her ears if possible.

"Yeah. That's it." Athrun smiled, "I got two free tickets. Is that okay?"

Cagalli can only nod with her sudden luck. She tried calling the ticketing office of the said theme park last week but unfortunately, because of its long-awaited reveal, all 8000 opening tickets were sold out. She also asked Yzak if he's got any free tickets, since Shiho told her that he was friends with the owner, but unfortunately, he only got two and the other one is for Shiho. And now, here is Athrun, coming to her like a knight in shining armour, carrying tickets to happiness that is Zeta Theme Park. Cagalli couldn't be any happier.

"AWESOME!"

***

As soon as they step foot on Zeta Theme Park, Cagalli dragged him to the rides, fighting through the sea of people also with the same intent. Athrun could only helplessly follow and listen while Cagalli chattered with child-like excitement. He sighed; maybe going to a theme park for a date was a bad idea. He can't voice out whatever he really wanted to say since by the time he had the will to say it, Cagalli would drag him to another ride or to another booth. He sighed again; he will resign to his fate for now, but lunch time would be _his time_. He finally smiled.

***

They were on their way to another wild ride that Cagalli chose when they heard something grumble. They stopped walking then Athrun looked at Cagalli. She was clutching her stomach through the thin fabric of her dress; she was also blushing while she gawked at her offending stomach. Athrun smiled amusedly at her when she looked up embarrassingly at him. She chuckled nervously.

"Let's go have lunch." Athrun grinned and held Cagalli's hand. It was finally _his time_ to do _his thing_ and he won't let Cagalli rule it out of him again.

They walked for a few minutes in circles, looking for a not so full restaurant. Everywhere they went, people were either waiting in lines outside the restaurant for their turn inside or there would be a sign outside the restaurant saying "Full House".

"Ah! I'm so tired and hungry!" Cagalli moaned as she sat down on a bench, and as if on cue, her stomach grumbled. She sighed. Though there are so many restaurants around, Zeta Theme Park is so big that they are scattered all around, and truthfully, her feet are killing her. Why did she wear sandals anyways? Oh yeah, right. Mana did not allow her to wear her sneakers with her dress. She sighed again.

"Hey, Athrun." She looked at the person beside her only to be surprised that he is gone. She stood up and looked around the throng of people surrounding her, scanning the huge variation of heads for blue hair, "What the hell... where did he go?"

Cagalli walked a bit, trying carefully not to put more pressure on her strained feet. There were lots of people inside the theme park and even standing on a particular spot made her feel dizzy as she was engulfed by a mass of colors. Once again, her stomach grumbled. She grimaced at her luck, hungry and lost in a huge theme park. _Athrun, where are you?_

"CAGALLI!" A sturdy hand found its way to her bare shoulder, and then she whipped her head back automatically, regretting it afterwards because she did it so fast that it induced a sudden dizzying spell. She lost her footing and was about to fall butt-first toward the cobblestone if not for the strong arms that wrapped around her shoulders.

"Oh, hey... Sorry about that." Cagalli looked up and saw Athrun's concerned face. She blushed. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine... just a bit dizzy, that's all. No biggie." She tried reassuring Athrun by smiling and steadying herself. She also tried suppressing the stupid blush that invaded her cheeks.

Athrun sighed. "I'm sorry, I lost you." He gently nudged Cagalli and they started walking to the bench that Cagalli previously occupied. "I thought you were still holding on to me. I got caught up with a food stand somewhere here."

"It's okay. I thought I lost you too." Cagalli chuckled nervously. It finally dawned on her that she lost herself. It was her fault that she let go of her hold on Athrun to soothe her sore legs. The incident was ironic that it was almost funny.

They both sat down on the bench and Cagalli noticed an item on Athrun's grasp. He waved a brown paper bag in front of Cagalli, "Lunch."

"Really?!" Cagalli looked at Athrun with wide, happy eyes. Her hunger would be satiated at last!

"Yeah... the food stand earlier was selling some delicious-looking burgers, and they're quite huge so I bought a couple of their best sellers and drinks too." Athrun smiled and opened the paper bag. Soon after, they were indulging on their simple but hearty lunch.

***

After a few minutes of munching, talking and laughing, Athrun and Cagalli found themselves eating the last pieces of their lunch and resting their full stomachs.

Cagalli sipped on her drink and smiled afterwards, "That's one of the best lunches I've ever had so far!" She patted her slightly bulging stomach for added emphasis, "I'm so full I can go around Zeta Theme Park three times!"

Athrun chuckled, "We can do that a bit later...let's rest first." He and Cagalli have been going around the theme park for about four hours, going on rides, and in fact, it is really exhausting. But his tiredness aside, he had other things to do. It is _his time now_.

"Cagalli..."

"Yes?"

"I... uh..." Athrun swallowed, he can do this, he reassured himself. "It's almost a month since we first met, and I thought—"

"ATHRUN!"

The voice interrupted Athrun's supposed confession of sorts. His hands balled into fists when he saw Dearka and Nicol walking up to them, with the former waving like an excited monkey. _I swear I'm gonna kill him... Damn it, Dearka!_

"Aww, man! You actually came at the opening, with a beautiful girl too!" Dearka slapped him on his back, while he remained unmoving. He glared at Dearka and greeted him with suppressed rage, "It's very nice to meet you here too, Dearka."

"Hi there, miss! I'm Dearka Elthsman! I own Zeta Theme Park! Nice to meet you!" Dearka turned her attention to the girl beside Athrun and introduced himself albeit braggingly. Nevertheless, Cagalli's eyes widened with excitement as she took his hand and shook it. "Oh my God... No way!"

"Yes way!" Dearka huffed proudly. "What's your name?"'

"Oh, I'm sorry." She chuckled, "I'm Cagalli Yula Attha!"

"Attha?! You mean the girl that most of the boys in our division are all crazy about?!"

Cagalli could only chuckle nervously on Dearka's comment. She doesn't know what to say. Of course, she knew what Dearka was talking about seeing that her locker is always full with letters, flowers, and other gifts of admiration, the most portion hailing from the boy's division, however, she can't help but deny it, "M-maybe you're mistaking me for another person, Dearka..."

"I'm sure it's you!" Dearka insisted and leaned forward therefore invading Cagalli's personal space.

"Hmm. Come to think of it, she does look like the one on the pictures I've seen being sold around the division." The green-haired teen said thoughfully. Cagalli threw him an incredulous look, her face all flustered. "Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot to introduce myself." He smiled, "I'm Nicol Amalfi, one of Athrun's friends. I also study at Orb International."

Cagalli also shook his hands. He seems a lot nicer than Dearka at first glance. "Nice to meet you, Nicol."

"So, Cagalli, being one of the hottest commodities at Orb International, why'd you hang out with our little, goody shoes Athrun here?" Dearka asked teasingly. Athrun groaned inwardly.

"Excuse me!" Athrun and Cagalli hollered at unison. Dearka looked a bit scared. Nicol laughed amusedly at the situation.

"Commodity?! You think of me of some sort of... product?! Is that it?!"

"I asked her out Dearka and she agreed! At least I know that women aren't scared of me!"

The couple seethed helplessly at poor Dearka who was already hiding behind an amused Nicol. Dearka looked like he was about to cry. Nicol decided to put an end to the cat fight, "Come on, guys, stop it. People are already looking."

"Fine." The couple huffed at the same time, but still glowered at Dearka.

"Okay, fine, fine." Dearka stepped out of Nicol's back, "Geez... I'm sorry. I was just... lightening up the mood."

"...Lightening up the mood?" Athrun asked grimly.

Dearka nodded, "Yeah, totally. You two looked so serious a while ago so..." He scratched his turned head, avoiding the couple's deadly glares.

"Everything was fine until you came." _I was about to confess to her, damn it!_ Athrun added mentally. He sighed afterwards, "As if I can do anything about it now."

"Aww, come on Athrun I said sorry!" A puppy-faced Dearka proceeded to sit down between him and Cagalli. Athrun groaned inwardly. _Dearka is blowing up our date. I think a killing spree is really due soon. _He is a person of great patience, however, what Dearka did earlier was something unforgivable. He started counting one to ten.

_One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven._

"Come on Athrun, just, ugh... forgive him." Cagalli said thoughtfully. "He just wanted to drop by anyways. Right, Dearka?"

Athrun sighed, "I forgive you..." he glared at Dearka afterwards, "But don't get the idea that you can do that to me again."

"Thanks, man! Thanks, Cagalli!" Dearka, in between the couple, wound his tanned arms around the span of their shoulders and gave them both a half-hug of sorts. Both didn't like it but decided to let it pass.

"So, where are you guys heading to next?" Nicol asked Athrun and Cagalli.

"I don't know. We just finished lunch." Athrun said however Cagalli decided to voice something out. "Well, we covered most of the awesome rides anyways, and I'm a bit tired already..."

Athrun threw a concerned look at Cagalli, however, the latter smiled reassuringly at the former as if saying that she's okay.

"Oh, I know!" Dearka perked up, "Come with us to the ferris wheel!"

"Ferris wheel? Don't you think were a bit old for that?" Cagalli asked frankly.

Dearka's eyes widened in feigned shock, "Didn't you know that Zeta's ferries wheel is currently the largest in the world? And, the view is one of the most spectacular things you will see!"

Athrun and Cagalli seemed a bit encouraged as they listened to Dearka's blabber. Nicol smiled and added, "Besides, Yzak and his girlfriend are already waiting for us there."

***

Nicol and Dearka were leading the way to the ferris wheel while Athrun and Cagalli followed a few steps back. From the moment the name of Yzak was said, Cagalli became a bit more fidgety as Athrun observed. They didn't have a past relationship, right? Athrun became nervous at the thought. _Yzak and Cagalli... no, it's not possible. It's like putting two active volcanoes in one island. Ugh..._

Athrun tried clearing his mind of his previous thoughts and diverted his attention back to Cagalli.

"Cagalli... Are you okay?"

She looked up at him, and nodded albeit reluctantly, "Uh, yeah... I'm fine."

He sighed, Cagalli was distracted. The reason, he didn't know. However, he will know, hopefully soon, as they approached the massive ferris wheel in front of them.

"HEY, MAMA'S BOY! WE'RE HERE!" Dearka, once again, waved like an excited monkey as he approached the white-haired figure near the base of the ride while dragging poor Nicol with him. Athrun held Cagalli's hand and squeezed it reassuringly as they walked followed.

***

Awkward and confused, that was what Athrun felt as soon as he saw Yzak's girlfriend. He trusted his clear memory of this girl—long brown hair, piercing brown eyes, super strength, vampire, Cagalli's friend—Shiho. He gulped. _She's Yzak's girlfriend? Oh my God..._

"Hey, Cagalli!" Shiho patted Cagalli on the head, smiling as she did so.

Cagalli beamed back, "Fancy meeting you here with Yzak..."

_Does Yzak know that Shiho's a vampire?... _Athrun looked at his white-haired friend that is currently bickering with Dearka.

"Hey, Athrun! How are you?" Shiho asked Athrun amiably while throwing him a knowing look.

"Ah... I'm fine, Shiho." He answered automatically. "I... I didn't know you're Yzak's girlfriend." He weighed his words carefully and tried blocking out the vampire thoughts for now, "It's nice to finally meet you." He gave her a smile, a nervous one nonetheless.

Shiho took a step forward towards him and asked him quietly, "You're _feeding_ Cagalli properly, right?"

Suddenly, all vampire-related thoughts concerning Yzak and Shiho's relationship, as well as his and Cagalli's, started flooding back in his mind because of Shiho's pun. He gulped and nodded.

"Good." Shiho took a step back. Athrun sighed in relief.

"Shiho! Stop bullying him!" Cagalli berated Shiho's actions. She didn't want to put Athrun in more pressure than he is now. _He probably didn't know that Yzak is also a vampire._

"I'm just reminding him, Cagalli." Shiho smiled harmlessly. Cagalli sighed and smiled back.

"HEY GUYS, COME OVER HERE! WE'RE RIDING THE NEXT GONDOLA!" Dearka hollered animatedly from afar. Nicol was trying to calm Dearka a bit, while Yzak was approaching them, shaking his head in disapproval towards the tan boy's actions.

"Can you please move your asses there already? Not for Dearka, but for the sake of Nicol's dignity?" Yzak fumed at them.

"Wow, that's very nice of you, Yzak." Shiho intertwined her fingers with Yzak's and leaned her head to his shoulder a bit. "Shut up, woman!"

Yzak dragged Shiho to the place where Dearka and Nicol were waiting, and Cagalli followed them but stopped mid step when he noticed that Athrun wasn't following.

"Athrun, aren't you coming?" Cagalli asked.

Athrun blinked. It seems that he had spaced out yet again due to too much thinking. "...Yeah..." He answered blandly.

Within a fraction of a second, he found Cagalli beside him, peering curiously at him. "If it's about Yzak and Shiho..."

He looked at her with surprised eyes as if he had been caught red-handed. "I'm just... uh... curious. Does Yzak know?" He asked with inquiring eyes. He was hoping that Cagalli can answer his question.

Cagalli smiled, however there was a hint of sadness in her eyes that went unnoticed by Athrun, "I think you should ask Yzak or Shiho about that."

"B-but Cagalli..." Athrun frowned. He didn't want to ask Yzak and he especially didn't want to ask Shiho either. _That girl can wring my neck in no time. _He shuddered involuntarily.

"Just... just drop it, Athrun." She smiled and grasped his jacket's sleeve, "Come on! If your brilliant mind forgot, _we're currently having a date_."

With this, all thoughts about Yzak and Shiho flew out of Athrun's mind. Yes, they're currently on _their date_. He remembered his _mission_, to confess to Cagalli. He smiled as another plan clicked in his brain and allowed himself to be dragged by a cheery Cagalli to the majestic ferris wheel a few meters away.

***

Athrun's eyebrow twitched in irritation. _Why the hell are we all in the same gondola? _He looked at Dearka and then glared when he saw him being all cozy with Cagalli. She was busy ogling the fantastic view from the clear gondola case while Dearka chattered endlessly about himself. Damn it, Dearka. He was standing beside Nicol while the latter admired the surroundings, Yzak and Shiho were near them, and surprisingly, Yzak was holding Shiho in the process, being the lovey-dovey couple they can be, while Dearka and Cagalli were on the other side, across of him. He _hated_ the _view_.

"You know Athrun, just take Cagalli away from Dearka and all will be well." Nicol's gentle voice flooded his murderous thoughts. His green-haired friend looked at him amusedly. He smiled in realization, "Maybe you're right. Thanks, Nicol."

Nicol smiled back and concentrated back to the view, "You're welcome... and good luck."

In a few hurried strides, Athrun was standing besides Cagalli. She seemed to notice him and said hi. Dearka's babble stopped, it seemed that he had noticed him too. He threw a knowing glance at him and smirked, "Well, I think my best buddy Yzak misses me. Excuse me, Cagalli, Athrun."

Athrun and Cagalli both nodded. Athrun sighed inwardly. _Great! At least Dearka has an ounce of self-preservation left... he's being cooperative._

"So..." Athrun gulped, he didn't know how to start. Sure, he had the plan made up in his mind, however, he didn't know how to start. He asked her a rather mundane question "Where do you want to ride next?"

"Mmm..." Cagalli sported a humble pout while thinking. _So... cute..._ Athrun leaned a bit forward but caught himself when Cagalli perked up, "Oh, I know! Let's ride the roller coaster again!"

She looked at him excitedly but blushed afterwards when she noticed the proximity of their faces. Athrun blushed too. Both looked away the same time.

Even though stuck in an awkward situation, Athrun thought that this would be an appropriate time to do his mission. He can do this; he just needed to blurt out the words he has been _dying_ to say since lunch time. Athrun took a deep breath. "Cagalli..."

"Yes, Athrun?" Cagalli looked at him although a bit shyly.

"Well, uh... you see... I..." Athrun gulped. Cagalli was too close, looking at him with those tawny eyes of hers. He felt pressured all of a sudden. "It's been a month since... since we met and, uh... I think..." He averted his eyes from Cagalli's stare. He can't breathe. _I think I'm developing asthma. Ugh. Come on, Athrun. A little bit more. _He looked back at Cagalli. Her eyes were full of anticipation and her cheeks were tinged with a redder hue. _She looks so beautiful._ He swallowed inwardly and took a deep breath.

"Wh-what I want to say is that I... I really like—"

An abrupt shake stopped Athrun's words. He couldn't believe it. The clear door of the gondola opened and their companions—Dearka, Nicol, Yzak and Shiho—started walking towards the exit. _Damn it... _He frowned. He looked at Cagalli, she was looking at the exit, eyes widening. She looked back at him, a glint of disappointment in her eyes. She tried to smile, "Let's go, Athrun."

***

Athrun could not believe that his confess-to-Cagalli-at-the-ferris-wheel-ride plan failed. By the time they exited the gondola, Athrun just wanted the ground to swallow him whole. He wanted to cry. _Only a few more words and I should have done it! Argh!_ He remembered Cagalli's face. He was sure he saw disappointment in her eyes. He grimaced at the mental picture that his brain produced.

He looked at Cagalli now. She was a few paces ahead of him, chattering with Nicol about the view from the gondola. Athrun was taken aback when she looked back at him, her ochre eyes penetrating his own emerald ones with an unknown question. He smiled back weakly and with a few steps, he was beside Cagalli.

"How did you find the ferris wheel ride, Athrun?" Nicol asked him thoughtfully as soon as he came into view.

Athrun badly wanted to scream all his pent up frustration with regards to the said ride and his failed plan, but of course, he answered the question politely with a smile. "It was okay. I liked the view very much."

A comfortable silence grew between the three of them while they followed the bickering Yzak and Dearka and an amused Shiho. Athrun threw short glances at Cagalli while they walked. He sighed. At least he's the only one awkward with the situation.

"Oh, hey look! It's a vending machine!" Cagalli suddenly twittered, pointing towards a colorful rectangular contraption a few meters away. With this, Athrun perked up and smiled involuntarily. _It's nice to hear her voice again..._

"I'm gonna get us some drinks. Do you want anything?" She asked Nicol and Athrun.

"No, I'm still fine." Nicol said politely.

Athrun nodded, "I'm coming with you."

"Okay... I'm gonna ask Shiho and the others." Cagalli caught up with the trio in front and asked them the same questions. Dearka and Shiho nodded, while Yzak just scowled at her.

"Let's go, Athrun. They said they'll wait by the bench over there." She pointed to the unoccupied bench where Dearka was running frantically to.

***

"Woaaaah! It has my favourite soda!" Cagalli chirped excitedly as she ogled the colorful machine in front of her. Athrun chuckled at Cagalli. _She looked so cute... almost like a child._

She dropped some coins by the coin slot and she punched in her drink. After a faint whirring sound, an audible pop was heard. Cagalli excitedly bent down towards the slot and retrieved a can of root beer. She turned around and beamed at Athrun, "Your turn, Ath—"

Her mouth hung open. She can't believe what's in front of her.

Athrun was hugging a girl while the girl showered him with kisses.

***

"...Meyrin?"

"Athrun! Oh my gosh!" The red-haired girl named Meyrin threw her arms around Athrun and jumped up and down excitedly. Athrun just had to put his arms on Meyrin's sides to support both of them or else they might fall, and falling on the floor, in a public place no less, is very, very embarrassing. When Meyrin stopped her movements, she held Athrun by his face and kissed him on both cheeks.

Athrun didn't know what struck him a few seconds earlier. He suddenly found himself in the arms of a very excited redhead which he then discovered as Meyrin, a very close childhood friend of his. It has been years since he last saw Meyrin but they still kept in touch through e-mail and their parents.

"I can't believe I'll see you here of all places, Athrun!" Meyrin said with the familiar pitch he missed.

"Yeah. I can't believe it too, Meyrin. Why are you here anyways? Taking a vacation perhaps?" Athrun was all smiles. He missed her so much.

"Kind of. My parents and I were scouting for some high schools along the way. I'm getting tired of being home schooled, you know." She said with a pout. "Also, Dearka sent me some tickets here so I decided to drop by."

"Ah, I see." He nodded in understanding. "But seriously, Meyrin. I'm so happy to see you."

"Me too, Athrun, me too!" Meyrin chirped happily. "Let's have dinner together, Athrun! I missed you so much!"

"Ah..." Athrun suddenly felt that he forgot something _very, very important_. A split second passed by and he felt as if someone threw a bucket of ice-cold water onto his entire being. _CAGALLI!_

His eyes widened as he turned around.

A brown liquid was leaking out of an open soda can, staining the cobblestone beneath it.

_Cagalli..._

***

Cagalli ran to the nearest transport station, while tears blurred her vision. _No, I won't cry, damn it!_ She wiped the tears that fell on her face. _Who was that girl anyway?... Who was that, Athrun?_

She didn't want to admit it but all the signs lead to the despised word. She was _jealous_. She was also angry. She clenched her fist as Zeta Theme Park disappeared from her view from the cab window.

As soon as that girl came into her view, her breathing hitched, her heart suddenly raged—pounding relentlessly against her chest, and worst of all, her fangs unexpectedly grew out. There was a sudden rush of adrenalin that pumped up her fury. She felt _threatened_ and she didn't know why.

_Inhale, exhale... Inhale, exhale.... Inhale, exhale..._

Her cell phone vibrated in sync with her breathing. She looked at the screen and grimaced at the display.

**Athrun calling...**

***

After five minutes of calling Cagalli's cell phone, Athrun almost lost it. _Why doesn't she answer her phone?! What if she's missing... or worse, kidnapped! Oh no..._

"Guys! She's not answering her cell phone!" Athrun said despairingly.

"I tried calling their manor but no one's answering..." Shiho said anxiously. _What's happening, Cagalli?..._ She was worried too. "I'll try again later."

"Calm down, Athrun... Maybe she just went to the comfort room." Meyrin placed her hand reassuringly on Athrun's shoulder. "She'll come back, eventually."

Meyrin's assumption was highly probable, however, there was a nagging feeling that gnawed Athrun's mind. _Cagalli might have run off after seeing him and Meyrin together._ He frowned at the thought. _Hopefully not._

A sudden vibration jolted him out of his thoughts. He received a message. _FROM CAGALLI!_ He hit the open button frantically and read the contents.

**I'm very sorry. An emergency came up at the manor, I had to go home. **

**Thank you very much for the date, Athrun.**

**Good night.**

***

Cagalli didn't want to end the day like that with a _cold-hearted lie_, but she did as soon as she hit the send button. _I hope he stops calling me now..._

She sighed. She looked outside the window, it was already dusk. She also noticed that they were nearing the manor. She stopped crying a few minutes ago, however, she still wiped her face clean. She also rearranged her dishevelled hair.

The gate of the Attha Manor opened up, allowing the cab to enter the estate. The cab pulled up by the front porch of the mansion and Cagalli got out. For some reasons, she stood there until she made sure that the cab was completely out of the gates.

She turned around and trudged towards the door. She was about to open it but she froze in her position when she came face to face with the flaring violet orbs of her twin brother.

"Kira..."

* * *

End of Chapter Four

**Author's Note:** Athrun and Cagalli are both a bit OOC here, I'm sorry but I just had to do it. I'm sorry for the late update, dear readers. I hope this chapter is enough to compensate for my inactivity. Anyways, trouble appears! There's bound to be a conflict somewhere, right? Please tell me what you think! Reviews are greatly appreciated! :D


	5. Action

**Good Morning, My Groom!**

**Chapter Five: Action**

* * *

"Kira..."

She blinked twice to make sure that her twin was not only an illusion brought about by her messed up mind. She broke into a smile when the figure in front of her didn't disappear. She took a step forward and opened her arms for a hug, "Kira! You're ba—"

SLAP!

The sound of flesh hitting flesh reverberated within Cagalli's ears. One of her pale hands reached for her swollen cheek. She cringed, it stung. She looked up and saw Kira's anger seething through his violet orbs. She should be angry right now for Kira's outburst, throwing rude comments and pulling out violent moves along the way; however, she froze on the spot when her own eyes locked onto the cold glare of her twin.

"What's wrong, Kira?" Cagalli managed to squeak out despite the shock. She felt that she was treading on deep waters so she tried to choose her words carefully. She grimaced when she saw Kira's brows furrowing severely on top of his equally angry eyes, he looked really scary. If looks could kill, Cagalli would already be dead many times over.

"What's...wrong?" His jaw was tight; it looked as if every word was spoken with so much control. "You're asking me what's wrong?"

Cagalli didn't like Kira's tone. It was sarcastic, furious, and somewhat pained. She decided that she will let Kira do the talking for now. She tried keeping a straight face despite the fear she felt. She had never seen Kira this serious before. _Did I do something wrong?_

"You... You smell _different_, Cagalli." Kira scowled at her.

_What does he mean I smell different? I smell like this every single day!_ She raised an inquiring brow, as if telling him to continue.

"You smell _different_." Kira hissed. "You..." His hands balled into fists tightly before it was flung recklessly on one of the front doors. Suffice to say, the force was enough to break the door into numerous shards.

"WHA-WHAT THE HELL! KIRA!" Cagalli's eyes widened with shock. Her attention flew back and forth to Kira and the destroyed door. She finally snapped, "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH ME?!" Kira yelled angrily. His jaw clenched with every word. "HOW ABOUT YOU, CAGALLI?! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?" Kira's hands landed on her shoulders, gripping them tightly. Cagalli fought the urge to whimper in pain. "I GO OUT FOR A WHILE AND YOU GO OFF BITING PEOPLE AND MARKING THEM AS YOUR GROOM! AND A HUMAN NEVERTHELESS!" Kira shook her rather harshly. "WHAT THE FUCKING HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!"

Cagalli's mouth hung open and her eyes widened in shock when it hit her. She totally forgot about the main issue from the start. She was busy for the past few days that her plans to confess to Kira about her recent life-changing accident were buried on the back of her mind. And now, faced with her angry twin, in probably the most dreaded confrontation she has ever had in her entire life, she just didn't know what to say.

"CAGALLI, ANSWER ME!" Kira shook her again. She still stood speechless, however, she felt the tears fall relentlessly from her eyes.

She felt vulnerable. She felt so stupid. She felt the toll of her mistake once again. She felt like crying, and she was. She hated every second of it.

She was lost in her thoughts when she suddenly heard the gentle voice her twin. Kira...

"Cagalli..." He was now frowning at her. He never liked seeing her cry. He wiped the tears that stained her face. She focused on him despite the tears that still blurred her eyes. "Look..." He sighed dejectedly. "We'll talk about this later, okay?"

He kissed the top of her head, and with another heavy sigh, he walked away.

***

Cagalli found herself slumped on her bed, staring at her blank bedroom ceiling after the unpleasant confrontation with Kira. She had been unmoving for a long time already that she didn't notice her tears stopped falling, much less Lacus entering the room.

"Cagalli..."

Cagalli looked up at the source of the gentle voice. Lacus. She wore a concerned look on her angelic face framed by her bubblegum pink hair. Cagalli blinked and then grimaced when she felt a distinct sting from her eyes. She had her eyes open for too long.

"Cagalli... it's dinner time." Lacus informed softly. She sighed when Cagalli rolled to the other side of the bed, turning her back to Lacus.

Lacus silently approached the other side of the bed and kneeled in front of Cagalli. The blonde girl was tightly clutching a pillow to her face. Lacus, with her enhanced hearing, heard muffled sobs from the girl before her. A slight frown etched on her face when she remembered Kira's rather harsh confrontation with Cagalli. _Kira can really be irrational at times... especially when it comes to her._ She sighed and then stroked Cagalli's hair.

"I'll just bring your dinner here, okay?" Lacus was about to stand up when Cagalli lowered the pillow covering her face. She decided to stay for a while and sat down on a small space by Cagalli's bed. Her pale arms reached for her face and wiped the tears that spilled from her puffy eyes.

"I... I was g-going to tell Kira, you know... but I... I n-never thought... you'll be home th-this early..." Cagalli croaked hoarsely.

Lacus was really heartbroken with Cagalli's current state. Sometimes circumstances are really unbelievable! Their—Kira and Lacus—flight home was scheduled the following week, however, they had to go home immediately when Kira outraged after he called Mwu. Apparently, Mwu had spilled the beans unintentionally when Kira asked him what Cagalli was up to. Mwu thought that Kira already knew about Athrun.

"I'm sorry, Cagalli. I tried stopping Kira but..." She sighed, "He just wouldn't listen to me. He was so worried about you, you see."

"LACUS!" Cagalli wailed while she attached herself helplessly to Lacus's body. Lacus hugged her back and stroked her hair gently. "It's okay, Cagalli... everything will be fine..."

"B-but Kira..."

"I'm sure he'll understand if you explain it to him." She smiled gently.

Lacus's smile somewhat calmed Cagalli's buzzing nerves. "Thanks, Lacus."

***

"How much did you hear?" Lacus asked out of nowhere as soon as she closed Cagalli's bedroom door.

"Everything." A figure stepped out from the corner. He was frowning.

"You shouldn't be too harsh on her, Kira."

A heavy sigh was released, "I know..."

***

**_DR. HIBIKI KILLED IN PLANE CRASH WITH WIFE_**

_Last week, the private jet of Dr. Ulen Hibiki, a world-renowned genetic scientist, crashed in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, bringing down all of its crew, Dr. Hibiki and his wife, a Japanese university professor, Via Yamato-Hibiki. No bodies were found after five days of thorough search and rescue operations within and around the vicinity by the Japanese Navy. The search party, however, found a huge piece of the jet's engine situated on the shallow sea bed of an uninhabited island that is 5 kilometers away from the area of impact._

_The cause of the accident was said to be a malfunction of the jet's engines. Further investigations are still underway to determine the exact cause of the accident._

**_ATTHA TO ADOPT HIBIKI'S SON_**

_Uzumi Nara Attha, a well-known business tycoon residing in Orb, filed papers today at the Orb's Court of Justice concerning the legal adoption process of Kira Yamato-Hibiki, son of late Dr. Ulen Hibiki and Via Yamato-Hibiki. Evaluations and court proceedings are scheduled a week after filing._

**_ATTHA SUCCESFULLY ADOPTS KIRA YAMATO-HIBIKI_**

_After a month and a half of court proceedings, Uzumi Nara Attha successfully adopts Kira Yamato-Hibiki. In an interview with Attha, he was asked about his primary motives on the adoption and he simply said, "I don't want Kira to grow up without a parental figure in his life."_

_Seven-year old Kira Yamato-Hibiki, now Kira Attha, decided to live with Attha and his daughter, Cagalli Yula Attha, at the prestigious Attha Manor located in Orb._

Kira was cleaning up his study room at the manor when he accidentally knocked up a pile of folders and envelopes on his table. He was surprised to see these—news clippings he collected about the death of his biological parents and the adoption case. Once in a while, he would open that folder and read its contents; however, because of his busy schedule, it has been a long time since he did so. He started picking up the newspaper clippings and magazine articles and placed them carefully inside the folder labelled _KIRA_.

He was about to pick up more papers when a picture on the floor, amongst the papers, envelopes and folders, caught his attention—it was Via Yamato-Hibiki holding two bundles of joy in each arm, one was blonde and one was brunette. His eyes softened. It has been years since he last saw the picture. It was the picture that brought him and Cagalli much closer. It was the picture that revealed the truth—that he and Cagalli are biological twins. It was the picture that provided a turning point in his life. At that moment, ten years ago, he devoted his life to protect Cagalli, the only biological family he has left. He vowed that he would protect Cagalli against all odds.

A knock on the door made him panic for some reason that he immediately placed the picture inside the folder and flung it recklessly on top of the pile of folders and envelopes decorating his study table. He started organizing the clutter in a neat pile while replying a gentle "Come in!"

He heard the door close with a soft click and then he turned around to see his guest. It was Cagalli. He grimaced when his mind suddenly reinforced the painful memories of the encounter earlier this evening.

"Hey." Cagalli greeted him softly with a weak smile. She was now leaning on the wall beside the door across the room.

"Hey." Kira looked back at her and sighed inwardly. Cagalli looked so broken. And he's sure that he's the reason why. Lacus even told him that he was too harsh on her.

Kira approached the unusually-placed loveseat in his study room. Lacus insisted he get one since he is a sadist for all-nighters especially when work interests him, she preferred him sleeping on the loveseat instead of his cold, hard desk. When he was comfortably settled on one end of sofa, he patted the unoccupied space beside him and glanced at Cagalli to tell her, albeit wordlessly, to sit down. Cagalli approached the sofa slowly and sat down. No one said anything for a short while, nevertheless, Cagalli decided to break the silence.

"It was an accident, Kira."

The brunette twin looked up. Cagalli was now leaning her head back on the couch. He knew this weird mannerism of Cagalli—she was leaning back to stop the tears from falling. He knows that she was easily driven by emotions. She always cries. He stayed quiet as if urging her to continue.

"But I… I admit it was my fault since… I lost control."

"What exactly happened, Cagalli?"

"Well, I was supposed to go home early like what you told me to do but… there was this guy—"

"Ar…Arthur?" Kira's forehead creased in thought. He recalled his recent conversation with Mwu for the name of the guy.

"No, stupid." Cagalli glared at him. Kira clamped his mouth shut. Cagalli turned her attention back to the ceiling and in an almost inaudible voice, she said, "Athrun Zala."

_Athrun Zala, eh? His surname rings a bell…_ Kira also noticed the hint of tenderness when Cagalli spoke of the guy's name. He grimaced mentally. _She's not getting attached already, is she?_

"I met him that morning when I arrived at school. He told me I looked constipated when he saw me." Kira didn't miss the small smile that carved its way on Cagalli's lips. "I was trying to fight the urges, you see…" The small smile disappeared. "In the afternoon, just after class, the urges started coming back so I locked myself in the girl's CR to calm myself down. When I did though, there were hardly any people left so I hurriedly left the building and was on my way to the parking lot when… when he saw me again.

"I didn't know what to do." A wistful smile ghosted on Cagalli's lips. "I caught a whiff of his smell and then suddenly, the urges came back. Worst of all, he started approaching me… I ran. When I got into the small forest thingy at school, I was surprised that he followed me." She sighed heavily. "The urges were already so strong then… and he looked quite…" Cagalli gulped. She was already flustered. She cleared her throat a bit to fight off the blush invading her cheeks but it was useless. She continued nevertheless. "He looked quite _tempting_."

_Tempting?_ Kira's scowl is now evident. _Fuck this. I need to hunt down this guy, pronto!_ He was on the verge of snapping when he froze on what he heard next.

"I literally pounced on him." Cagalli was looking at Kira squarely in the eyes, effectively stopping his movements and any of his stray thoughts. He was probably itching to beat Athrun to a pulp. She knew him that much. "And then I… I bit him."

Cagalli's lips drew into a thin line. Of course, she dropped some very minor details like kissing Athrun senseless on the forest floor. She's sure that Kira would be angrier if he hears that. She regulated her breathing in her mind._ Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale. Kira's not saying anything yet… _She was starting to get nervous. She peered at her twin curiously.

Kira didn't know what to say, or rather, he didn't know what to do since it was obvious that Cagalli was at fault. He never wanted to raise another offending hand at Cagalli. Frustrated, he leaned his head against the loveseat's backrest. However, for some reason, he became annoyed at the guy. _If that guy didn't follow Cagalli, then any of this wouldn't have happened..._ His fists closed into a tight ball. He just wants to punch somebody senseless right now. _Or perhaps, punching that bastard is a better idea!_

"Kira?" Cagalli asked gently. He seemed to be brewing some mad ideas in his head. She groaned inwardly at the thought.

Kira smiled and pulled Cagalli into a half-hug. He patted her blonde locks affectionately, "Thanks for telling me this, Cagalli." _Don't worry, I'll think of an idea to get you out of this mess! _Of course, Lacus always berated him of being overprotective of Cagalli, however, he really didn't like breaking promises—he vowed to protect Cagalli—and right now, in Cagalli's current situation, he's sure as hell wants to break someone's neck—someone by the name of Athrun Zala.

***

Athrun sighed. It has been almost a week since he last saw Cagalli. For some reasons, she seems to be avoiding her. He called her every day since their date but she wouldn't answer, he sent her text messages but she wouldn't reply, he waited every lunch time at their bench hoping that she'll appear, and he even went to her classroom to see her but she wasn't there. He scratched his head in frustration. It was already Friday and he still hasn't seen even a glimpse of Cagalli's shadow.

He looked at his watch; it was already four in the afternoon. They were dismissed several minutes ago but Athrun found himself standing on the rooftop of the Boys' Division building. He always liked the wind there. Though it was already fall at Orb and the temperature became a bit chilly, he still gave himself the pleasure to go up there once in a while to think and to breathe. The breeze from the rooftop always brought him the calming effect he wants. He exhaled and was slightly amused when he produced a puff of air. He wound the scarf around his neck a bit tighter and then fished out his cellphone from his pant's pocket. He reread Cagalli's message for the nth time.

**I'm very sorry. An emergency came up at the manor, I had to go home. **

**Thank you very much for the date, Athrun.**

**Good night.**

He tried asking Shiho what happened at the Attha Manor since she's one of Cagalli's closest friends, however, Shiho always brushed him off, telling him that it was not his business to know.

_"It's also my business, damn it! Cagalli's my... my bride!" Athrun said crossly._

_"Then, go to her." Shiho replied simply, anger also burning from her eyes._

_I think I made her angry when I asked her if Yzak's also a vampire... _He frowned. What Shiho told him about Yzak was a huge shock to Athrun's system. He became one of Athrun's closest friends (despite their attitude differences) when he entered this school. _Yzak's a vampire... and also one of Cagalli's close friends._ He sighed. N_ow, I've got Yzak and Shiho to kill me if I do something wrong to Cagalli... I wonder how Nicol and Dearka will react when I tell them the truth about the couple. _He gulped at the thought. _Yzak and Shiho would most likely kill him, and most probably, Cagalli would be helping the two_. He sighed. _Cagalli..._

He looked around. The surroundings got a bit darker. The afternoon sun hid behind the thick orange-gray clouds thus creating a beautiful silhouette of the Girls' Division building in front of his eyes. He was in the middle of indulging himself on the scenery when he noticed someone at the other side—at the Girls' Division building's rooftop. The figure was standing on top of the rooftop's exit shed, stretching her lean form in all its glory while her skirt billowed in the autumn breeze. She stood there afterwards, with both hands on her waist looking as if she was also admiring the view of the majestic sunset.

Athrun froze on his spot when the girl turned around and jumped on the rooftop floor gracefully. But that wasn't the reason he stayed unmoving, it was the face that the girl carried, the face that haunted him every night, the face that always invaded his thoughts—_CAGALLI!_

***

He ran as soon as Cagalli exited the rooftop. He was panting heavily while running down the flight of stairs of the Boys' Division building. In a few minutes he found himself at the building's lobby, trying to catch his breath. In the midst of all the panting, he saw Cagalli exiting the Girls' Division building and making her way to the parking lot. With a huge gulp of air, he ran across the courtyard and it was then he noticed a hot red sports car exiting at one of the school's gates.

_It's Cagalli! It's really her! That's her car!_

With an unwavering resolve, he went to the parking lot and got into his own car.

_If the vampire runs away from the prey, then the prey will go after the vampire._

_***_

The Attha Manor loomed in the distance. It looked magnificent as ever, however, there was an unusual air around it that Athrun cannot describe. It was almost telling Athrun to go back. He grimaced; he cannot back down now, not when Cagalli is already at reach. He scolded himself mentally for not thinking of this—going to Cagalli's house—much earlier.

The gates of the Attha household opened smoothly. It seemed like the guard already knew him and gave him a smile as he passed. He pulled into the curb and got out of his car. He straightened his clothes while he made his way to the front door. He was about to ring the doorbell when the door opened revealing a smiling brown-haired, violet-eyed man.

"Good afternoon, young man."

Athrun was slightly taken aback but retained his composure afterwards, "Good afternoon, sir. Is Cagalli home?"

"Cagalli?" The man's eyes narrowed slightly, "And who might you be? One of her friends from school, perhaps?"

"Um, yeah... I'm one of her friends." He smiled and introduced himself, "I'm Athrun Zala, sir."

The violet eyes of the brown-haired man widened in shock. Athrun gulped. Did I do something wrong?

"Athrun Zala, you say?" The man's voice was grim, almost threatening in fact.

"Yes, si—"

A solid punch to the face jolted Athrun's senses. He fell unceremoniously on the tiled floor with a thud. What the hell?! Athrun's hands flew to his mouth. His lower lip was busted and it stung considerably. He wiped the small amount of blood that managed to ooze out from the small wound. He looked up and glared at the furious brown-haired man standing before him.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRO—"

Athrun received a harsh kick on his stomach. He rolled off from the steps of the patio and landed on the hard pavement of the curb. _Damn it._ He tried standing up, supporting his body on all fours. He coughed out all of a sudden and his eyes widened when he saw the pavement stained with his blood. _Ugh..._

When he successfully stood up, albeit weakly because of the sudden beating, he was grabbed tenaciously by the collar by the brown-haired man. He looked up and saw the infuriated violet eyes of the man. Athrun asked himself a few times if he did something wrong to anger the man before him, however, all thoughts ceased when another punch landed on his jaw. He was still in the man's hold when he coughed out some blood again. The brown-haired man's punches were rather strong that it made Athrun feel a bit light-headed. His head lolled unconsciously while he tried to catch his breath.

"You..."

A venomous voice called Athrun's attention. He stared at the man in front of him. His lips were drawn into a thin line, his jaw was tense, and his eyes were out to kill. Athrun groaned as the man tightened his hold on his collar. He felt another punch coming when the man loosened a hand from his collar, however, the man went stiff when an angelic voice echoed in the air.

"Kira?... Oh my! Kira! Let go of that man this instant!"

Athrun saw a dash of pink before he was flung roughly across the pavement. He rolled around a few times before halting face down on the concrete. Using his hands, he pushed himself against the ground and turned his body on his back with a rough thud. He was now lying on the pavement, his eyes were closed and he was breathing heavily.

"Hey, Lacus, is there any problem?"

A familiar voice joined the aggravating buzz inside Athrun's messed up head. _Cagalli..._

With this, he submitted to his defeated senses and fell unconscious.

***

Cagalli's heart raged furiously in her chest.

Lacus was restraining a furious Kira. She was trying to pull him inside the house—trying desperately to divert his attention from the heap of flesh lying on the front curb. She was looking at her anxiously as if asking for help and as if trying to tell her something more unpleasant.

Cagalli looked at Kira and then looked at Kira's object of attention. She felt her heart skip a beat when she saw a tattered Athrun lying helplessly on the pavement. Her feet started moving on their own and in a fraction of a second, she was already kneeling beside an unconscious Athrun. She gulped. He was bleeding. _Oh my God... _Her heart started beating faster. Her fangs started lengthening. The smell of Athrun's blood was overpowering her senses. She cursed inwardly. It has been a full week since she drank blood and unfortunately, she's already near her limit. _Damn it, not now!_

She was on the verge of tears because of the sudden dilemma, however, she decided with much determination that she needed to help Athrun first. She blinked back her tears and gently picked up Athrun's limp form from the ground. She draped one of his arms around her shoulders and she encircled one of her arms around his waist for support. She walked to the porch, dragging an unconscious Athrun with her.

"Let go of him, Cagalli." Kira said crossly. He was being restrained by Lacus's strong hold.

Cagalli glared at him and ignored his command. She continued walking.

"I swear, if that bastard sets one foot inside the house, I will—"

"You will what, Kira?" She glowered at her twin with the same intensity of anger in her eyes. "You've beaten him up. Thanks to you, he's now unconscious. Aren't you happy now? What more do you want to do?"

"Cagalli, I—"

"Perhaps, you're the impulsive one, Kira."

Cagalli continued walking, dragging Athrun in the process, while ignoring Kira's protests.

***

Athrun opened his eyes slowly. He groaned when he felt pain all over his body especially on his face. What happened? He blinked a few times to adjust to the darkness of the room. He tried sitting up but didn't do it anyways because he felt sore all over. He looked around. He seems to be lying in a bed. There was an open table side lamp near him, illuminating a small part of the room. Finally adjusting to the scarce lighting of the room, he roamed his eyes around. _Hmm... This room looks familiar... Where am I anyways?_

"Ah! You're finally awake!" A gentle voice perked up from the door. It was a young woman with pink hair.

_Pink?_ Athrun blinked as the woman approached him. She seems to be carrying a tray full of food which she placed on the bedside table.

_I'm sure I saw something pink before I got knocked out... but what happened before that?_ He creased his forehead in thought. He seems to be forgetting some major details.

The pink-haired lady looked at him with concern. "Does it still hurt?"

The lady touched his cheek gently. It stung severely even with feathery touches. He groaned. _That man can pack a punch! _His eyes widened in his sudden mental outburst. _Man?... Punch?... _He gulped when some violent scenes replayed in his mind. Apparently, he was punched, kicked, and thrown like trash by a brown-haired man when he arrived at Cagalli's doorstep. He groaned once more in realization.

"Oh my... do you want to take some painkillers?" The lady asked once again.

Athrun looked at her and croaked out the first thing that rolled off his tongue, "Cagalli..."

The pink-haired lady looked at him questionably and then smiled afterwards. "I'll go call her."

Athrun blushed. What was he thinking, saying Cagalli's name like that? He was hoping that he did not sound that desperate. _Oh God, help me..._

A few seconds after the pink-haired lady exited the room, Athrun heard hurried footsteps outside, followed by a hasty opening of the bedroom door. In a blink of an eye, Cagalli was in front of Athrun. He smiled. _Finally..._

"Thank heavens, you're awake!" Cagalli buried her head on his shoulder. Athrun suppressed a groan from escaping his lips. He was still sore but he could care less since Cagalli's back in his arms once again. With a lot of effort, he placed his free hand on top of Cagalli's head and started caressing her blonde hair.

"I missed you so much, Cagalli..." He sounded hoarse, nevertheless, he was so happy that he had no care on how he sounded like.

"Me too." A muffled reply came from Cagalli, who was still buried on his shoulder. She tilted her head a bit so she can look at him. Her eyes were wet but she was smiling. "Do you want to sit up?"

"Yes, please."

Cagalli lifted him gently, letting him rest by the bed's headboard. Athrun produced a faint whimper which made Cagalli look at him worriedly.

"Does it still hurt?" Cagalli was frowning. She looked guilty.

"Don't worry, this is nothing..." He smiled. Cagalli blushed at the process and he smiled some more. _She looks so cute when she blushes!_

"Uh... ah... You should eat!" Cagalli moved frantically, desperately trying to hide her embarrassment. She reached for her bedside table and got a bowl full of rice porridge. She scooped a hefty amount of porridge on the spoon and blew on it gently. "It's still a bit hot..."

Athrun opened his mouth when Cagalli placed the spoonful of porridge near his face. They were silent while Cagalli fed him. He never thought he was that hungry that he finished the porridge in no time. He finally felt some energy coursing through his body. He sighed in relief.

"Here." Cagalli placed a glass of water near his lips and he complied by drinking the liquid. He finished the whole glass and smiled gratefully at the girl before him, "Thank you, Cagalli."

A comfortable silence ensued. Cagalli was fidgeting on her spot by the side of the bed while Athrun was staring at her, smiling in satisfaction because she was there.

Athrun didn't want to break the silence but he had some questions that needed to be answered. "Hey, Cagalli... Who's that brown-haired man earlier?" _I hope he's not some crazy, possessive suitor of yours. He gave me quite the beating..._

"Oh..." Cagalli frowned, "He's my... brother."

_Brother? She has a brother? _Athrun looked at her quizzically.

"It seems like I haven't told you about him yet, haven't I?" Cagalli said sheepishly. "Well, he's my brother, my twin, in fact. I'm so sorry about what he did to you. For him to go berserk like that was unlike him... I thought you would be in a serious coma afterwards or something much worse." She sighed heavily.

Athrun gulped. _Much worse?_ "Is he also a... vampire?"

Cagalli nodded. _That explains the inhumane beating I received earlier.._. Athrun groaned inwardly at the thought.

"And who's that pink-haired lady?" She seems really nice, Athrun added mentally.

"Oh, that's Lacus. She's Kira's wife... her _bride_." Cagalli added the last part in a whisper.

Athrun shuddered. _This house is full of vampires..._ He cleared his thoughts and decided to focus on one thing—Cagalli. He had not seen her for a week and he wanted to know what's wrong. "I haven't seen you in a week."

Cagalli evaded his eyes. She was now staring intently on the blanket covering him.

"Tell me, is there something wrong, Cagalli?" Athrun grabbed one of Cagalli's fisted hands. This action made Cagalli look at him.

"Cagalli..." Athrun coaxed her gently.

The girl before him took a deep breath and mumbled, "I had to avoid you for a while."

Athrun was in shock. So it was true... she really was avoiding me. It pained him. "...Why?"

"Kira got mad when he knew about you. He said that I smelled different. You see, we vampires have heightened sense of smell so we can notice the slightest of changes. He did. It seems that your smell rubbed off on me since we have been spending time together a lot... so, I had to avoid you for a while. I'm sorry." Cagalli bit her lip. Another major reason of her week-long hiding was because of that girl. She had been so shocked to see Athrun in the arms of another girl and to see him so happy like that pained her so much.

"Oh." Athrun was speechless. He seriously thought that Cagalli was mad of him because of Meyrin since she coincidentally disappeared after Meyrin appeared. Nevertheless, his thoughts rolled off from his mouth effortlessly, "I really thought you we're angry at me because of Meyrin."

Athrun's mouth instantly snapped shut as soon as he finished the statement. He never meant to voice out his thoughts. Cagalli stiffened.

He waved his hands frantically in front of her as if telling her to dismiss his last statement. Cagalli was frowning and averting her eyes from him. He looked at her quizzically, and then heard something click inside his head. _Oh my God... don't tell me she's really mad at me because of Meyrin?!_

His eyes widened in realization, however, an amused smile followed, "Could it be that you're jealous of Meyrin?"

"Hmmp!" Cagalli glared at him and stood up from the bed. She was about to stomp away when Athrun caught her hands in a tight grip. She glared at him again.

_She really is jealous! _Athrun chuckled inwardly as his male pride swelled in happiness. "Is this _for real_, Cagalli?"

"So what if I am?!" Cagalli retorted, "At least I'm not some womanizing blueberry head!" She tugged at her hands held by Athrun's own but groaned in frustration afterwards when it didn't even budge a bit. _What the hell?!_ She felt her strength fading because she still hasn't drank any blood since last week. She silently prayed to the gods to at least make her rational for the time being.

"...Womanizing blueberry head?" Athrun stuttered awkwardly. He gulped. Cagalli thought he was flirting with Meyrin. _What the hell..._ He looked at her firmly, "Cagalli, Meyrin is just a childhood friend of mine that I haven't seen in years! There's nothing romantic between us, I swear! There's no reason for you to be jealous about! You're the only girl I like!"

Athrun's eyes widened and his mouth hung open, he didn't mean to blurt out the last sentence. He gulped. He was so frustrated that he didn't even think of his words. _Mother in heaven, please help me..._

Cagalli's mouth also hung open. Athrun likes me? A hefty amount of blush invaded her cheeks. She asked once again, albeit sheepishly, "You like... me?"

Athrun nodded slowly. He might as well go with the flow. He was also flustered but he said it clearly, "I like you, Cagalli."

A small smile crept into Cagalli's lips. She never thought it would come to _this_.

Athrun noticed the small smile forming on Cagalli's lips. He grinned confidently, "So does _that_ mean you like me too?"

"No way, you womanizing blueberry head!" Cagalli teased and then she was pulled into an embrace by a chuckling Athrun Zala.

***

"Kira, you shouldn't go in there." Lacus warned the brown-haired man gently. She was holding one of his arms in a firm grip.

"But Lacus!" Kira whined desperately, "What if that blue boy does something bad to Cagalli?! I can't let that happen!" He gripped the doorknob firmly. He's going into Cagalli's room even if that means dragging Lacus with him and even though Cagalli threatened to skin him alive and ship him to Antarctica if he entered.

"Kira, they can handle themselves perfectly. They're not kids anymore." Lacus sighed. _Kira's such a worrywart. Oh my..._

"Lacus! I can't take it anymore! I'm going in!" With a surge of strength, he entered the room, dragging Lacus with him. He froze on his spot when he saw Athrun and Cagalli on the bed, sporting a _very suggestive_ position.

Lacus heard a loud snap—somewhat like a volcano eruption when Kira yelled angrily.

"LET GO OF HER, YOU BASTARD!"

* * *

End of Chapter Five

**Author's Notes:** I'm giving out imaginary creampuffs to whomever guesses correctly the "_very suggestive_ position" that Athrun and Cagalli were sporting. Hahaha. The characters are OOC again. And I'm very sorry for all the sudden POV shifts. If you're confused by that, I accept flames. By the way, I decided that this story will be around 10 chapters long. If you want it longer, or perhaps more interesting (in terms of content), please suggest or prompt me some scenes and I'll try to incorporate your ideas on the next chapters. Please tell me what you think, it's greatly appreciated! Reviews are love! :)


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